Publication:

Hematological profile including alkali resistant hemoglobin of neonates at birth using cord blood in relation to gestational age and maternal diseases

Background The importance of complete hemogram along with the hematological indices in the diagnosis of neonatal health cannot be overemphasized. There is a severe paucity of relevant data regarding neonatal hematological profile in relation to gestational age and maternal diseases in this part of the country. With this perspective, the authors intended to do a pilot study to analyse the haematological profile of neonates of different gestational ages and different maternal diseases born in a teriary care hospital in Eastern India.

Methods This is a cross sectional study design based on cord blood sample of newborns and their mothers recruited from those admitted in the gynae and obstetric department in IPGME&R. The umbilical cord blood was collected from the newborn babies and then examined for different haematological parameters. The data obtained was statistically analysed.

Results While there has been a sequential rise of fetal red cell count, hemoglobin and the total white cell count neutrophils with gestational age, the mean corpuscular cell volume decreased. All these values were comprised to varying degrees in maternal diseases except for nucleated rell blood cells which conspicuously increased in neonates of diabetic mothers.

Conclusions In this study, a small attempt was made to assess the haematological profile (including alkali resistant hemoglobin) of the newborns in relation to gestational age and maternal diseases in the population attending a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India.