[The state of the adaptation system of women during the postpartum period under the influence of an industrial complex].

The hormonal status was studied in the dynamics of postpartum stress in the puerperas who lived in the town of Balkhash under the influence of an industrial complex. The puerperas were found to show no pronounced adrenal cortical response to postpartum stress; there was monotony of changes in the content of dopa and dophamine and the levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline remained high on day 5 after delivery as compared with the controls. There were high levels of prolactin and cortisole, which suggests different stress levels in Balkhash females and in the controls. It can be assumed that chronic exposure to industrial noxious agents results in so-called cross resistance caused by one stressor (delivery) in relation to the effect of other-order (ecological) stressors rather than in depletion of the hormonal system.