Laplace’s Law and Pascal’s Principle Dictate Birth Timing and Pregnancy
Duration Through Exponential Uterine Wall Tension (EUWT) Where Its
Malfunctions Alter Birth Timing and/or Mode of Delivery: A Hypothesis
Abstract
Background Failure to understand uterine function during
pregnancy is a major shortcoming of healthcare. Objective To
support the hypothesis and we would call it, Hegazy’s Hypothesis for
Gestation. Study Design: The thesis of this hypothesis is
derived from a study that was carried out in Australia and published in
PLOS in 2010. Sokolowski P et al. 2010. Human Uterine Wall Tension
Trajectories and the Onset of Parturition. PLoS ONE 5(6): e11037.
Results Pregnancy is a state of balance between the two
opposing and interactive inhibitory and stimulatory systems secondary to
EUWT mechano-transduction and Progesterone/estrogen stimulation.
Pregnancy is mainly maintained through a stretch-dependent inhibitory
system. Contractions of the stimulatory system transform the cervix into
the lower uterine segment causing EUWT failure, which terminates the
pregnancy. Light-dark cycle modulation of interactive inhibitory and
stimulatory systems divides gestation into five clinical phases.
Pregnancy interval and circadian timers are achieved by a single
mechanism, namely EUWT failure, secondary to the complete loss of
cervical strength nocturnally. Inhibitory system malfunction causes
preterm labor, and most of the current therapeutic modalities for
pre-term labor are focusing on delaying or preventing EUWT failure.
Stimulatory system malfunction causes post-term pregnancy, and the
combined malfunction of the two systems causes labor dystocia.
Conclusion EUWT creation, autonomic maintenance, and autonomic
EUWT termination make pregnancy an autonomic cycle with constant
intervals and circadian timers. EUWT malfunctions alter birth timing
and/or mode of delivery. Laplace’s law and Pascal’s principle measure
EUWT which might be the laws of physics that genetically pregnancy
duration.