Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Neonatal asphyxia is a major cause of neurologic morbidity and mortality. Recent studies suggest increased nucleated red blood cells in neonates with meconium aspiration syndrome, supporting that the pregnancy with meconium stained amniotic fluid is at high risk of fetal hypoxia.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the role of umbilical cord nucleated red blood cells as a marker of neonatal asphyxia with meconium stained amniotic fluid.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
This study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Nursery Department in AL- Kadhymia Teaching Hospital from April 2010 through April 2011as prospective case controlled study. The study included one hundred pregnant women, who were admitted to the delivery ward, they were arranged into two groups. Group one included fifty women with meconium stained amniotic fluid, considered as study group and the other group included fifty women with clear amniotic fluid, considered as control group. This for determination of umbilical cord nucleated red blood cells and comparison between two groups.
RESULTS:
The percentage of abnormal nucleated red blood cells count (NRBCs) in the study group (30%) was significantly more than the control group (18%) (P value =0.002).The mean nucleated red blood cells count (NRBCs) difference was 3.69 units and it was significantly higher in the study group than the control group (P value =0.0002).
CONCLUSION:
The nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) count increase in cord blood of neonates with meconium stained amniotic fluid compared to neonates of clear amniotic fluid.