All issues > Volume 36(11); 1993

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1993;36(11):1526-1533. Published online November 15, 1993.

The Significance of Nucleated Red Blood Cell Counts in Low Birth Weight Neonates

In Ho IH Song¹, Weon Kee WK Lee¹, Hye Lim HL Jung¹, Dong Hyuck DH Keum¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Koryo General Hospital, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

We studied to assess the relationship between intrauterine growth retardation and the increased nucleated red blood cell counts (NRBC) in small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates with low birth weight. We also evaluated the nucleated red blood cell counts in low birth weight neonates who had either perinatal asphyxia or hyaline membrane disease (HMD) or died within 7 days after birth. The results were as follows ; 1) In low birth weight neonates, the mean value for NRBC counts was 9.02/100WBCs and the mean absolute value for NRBC counts was 0.92 X 109/L. 2) The mean values for NRBC counts were 13.4/100WBCs and 6.4/100WBCs in AGA. The mean absolute values for NRBC were 1.32 X 109/L in SGA and 0.68 X 109/L in AGA neonates. 3) In SGA neonates with low birth weight, the mean NRBC counts were 19.6/100WBCs in asphyxiated group and 4.5/100WBCs in control group. The mean absolute NRBC counts were 1.98 X 109/L in asphyxiated group and 0.38 X 109/L in control group. 4) IN AGA neonates with low birth weight, the mean NRBC counts were 9.1/100WBCs in asphyxiated group and 2.4/100WBCs in control group. The mean absolute NRBC counts were 0.98 X 109/L in asphyxiated group and 0.23 X 109/L in control group. 5) The mean NRBC counts were 13.8/100WBCs in neonates with HMD and 7.1/100WBCs in control group. The mean absolute NRBC counts were 1.50 X 109/L in neonates with HMD and 0.70m X 109/L in control group. 6) The mean NRBC counts were 19.9/100WBCs in expired group and 6.8/100wBCs in survived group. The mean absolute NRBC counts were 2.18 X 109/L in expired group and 0.66 X 109/L in survived group. 7) The NRBC counts of SGA neonates were significantly higher than that of AGA neonates with low birth weight. 8) The NRBC counts of asphyxiated neonates were significantly higher than that of the control group. 9) The NRBC counts of neonates with HMD were significantly higher than that of the control group. 10) The NRBC counts of expired neonates were significantly higher than that of the survived neonates.

Keywords :Low birth weight, Nucleated red blood cell, Small for gestational age, Neonatal asphyxia, Hyaline membrane disease, Expired neonates