JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Abstract

Background: It is estimated by WHO that 87% of the Indian pregnant women are anaemic and it is significantly high in third trimester of pregnancy. Aim: To correlate the maternal haemoglobin levels in third trimester expectant pregnant women to cord blood haemoglobin levels and cord blood reticulocyte count. Material and Methods: After obtaining ethical clearance and with informed consent the subjects were recruited based on various inclusion and exclusion criteria from a medical college hospital in Kolar. One hundred healthy third trimester gestational expectant mothers in labour were selected. Results: Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out on this data. The level of significance was fixed at p<0.01. To estimate the relationship quantitatively between three variables, maternal haemoglobin, cord blood haemoglobin and cord blood reticulocyte count, Pearson’s correlation co-efficient was estimated. Conclusions are drawn based on the outcome of this statistical treatment. Conclusions: 1. There is significant correlation between maternal haemoglobin level and cord blood haemoglobin level. 2. There is a correlation between maternal haemoglobin and foetal cord blood reticulocyte count but significant.

Key-words: Hemoglobin, cord blood sample, reticulocyte, third trimester gestation, expectant mother