Changes in laboratory values in pregnancy
| Laboratory test | Change in pregnancy | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen | Decrease due to increased glomerular iltration | Nonpregnancy normal values may indicate eveloping renal failure |
| Urine protein | Hyperfiltration leads to proteinuria | Small increases are normal, but > 300 mg/24 hours may indicate preeclampsia |
| Alkaline phosphatase | Increases due to placental production | |
| Bilirubin and aminotransferases | Decrease | Nonpregnancy normal values of aminotransferases may indicate HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) syndrome |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone | Decreases early, gradually normalizes | Free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine levels are stable and are better indicators of thyroid function than total values |
| Corticotropin and cortisol | Increase | Serum or salivary cortisol is not a reliable indicator of pathology |