FETAL BRAIN AND PARTURITION

The primate fetal brain appears to adjust the time of birth around the species mean length of gestation. At the end of gestation a switch in the fetal pituitary production of the corticotropics α-MSH and ACTH seems to favour the latter. In the present chapter it is discussed how this switch could be related to the possible fetal mechanism for the induction of labour, and a conjecture is made for the role of CLIP, which is produced by the fetal pituitary in addition to α-MSH. Moreover, the involvement of the fetal brain in the final timing of birth by governing the switch in pituitary corticotropic production and by the release of neurohypophysial hormones is discussed. In addition, the release of fetal oxytocin during labour is thought to facilitate the course of labour, not only in man but also in the rat, in which species the fetal brain appears not to be involved in the onset of labour. © 1979.