The Association of Haemoglobin and Ferritin Concentration in Newborn and Cord Blood With Maternal Haemoglobin and Ferritin Concentration in Three Trimesters

Abstract

BACKGROUND Maternal nutrition and health is considered to be the most important regulator of human foetal growth. Improved maternal nutrition has been associated with increased foetal growth and a compromised maternal health leads to adverse birth outcomes in developing countries and in population with nutritional deficiencies. Aims and Objectives-The present study evaluates the association of haemoglobin and ferritin concentration in newborn and cord blood with maternal haemoglobin and ferritin concentration in three trimesters. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was observational, and design was longitudinal recruiting one hundred antenatal women in Saraswathi Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Hapur. The haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentration of the mother in three trimesters was compared with the same in the cord blood and newborn. Maternal venous blood was taken during the first stage of labour. Sample of cord blood was collected soon after clamping and cutting the cord (Baby safely handed over to the paediatrician). The venous blood sample of the newborn was taken after 6 hours of delivery. RESULTS Maternal haemoglobin in the first and second trimester showed positive significant correlation with cord blood haemoglobin (p<0.05). However, though the haemoglobin in third trimester showed positive correlation with cord blood, it was not significant. Correlation of haemoglobin in the first trimester was positive with the newborn haemoglobin (p= 0.15). Haemoglobin in the second and third trimester showed positive correlations with newborn haemoglobin and that too significant. Haemoglobin status ranged from 9.0-12.3 mg/dL, 8.20-11.50 mg/dL and 7.5-10.8 mg/dL in the first, second and third trimester respectively. The mean haemoglobin concentration of study group during the first stage of labour was 8.7 ± 1.0 mg/dL. The mean haemoglobin concentration of cord blood was 14.1 ± 1.2 mg/dL, whereas it was 17.3 ± 1.9 mg/dL in newborn. While the mean maternal ferritin was 17.37 ± 2.02 (normal= 12 to 150 ng/mL) and cord blood ferritin was 15.89 ± 0.58. CONCLUSION The findings suggest the requirement for establishing new strategies for ensuring that mothers take iron supplementation regularly and establishing nutritional education programs to improve the dietary intake of pregnant mothers. Also, regular investigations of pregnant mothers for Hb and other blood indices as well as ferritin should be performed. Awareness programs for medical staff concerning anaemia of pregnancy should be undertaken. Also, other research studies are needed to establish the normal values of anaemia indices in normal pregnant women and their babies.