All issues > Volume 31(11); 1988

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1988;31(11):1453-1459. Published online November 30, 1988.

Relationship of Maternal and Cord Serum Ferritin.

Hae Sung Cho¹, Jin Hyun Park¹, Hee Jung Kwon¹, In Sil Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Police Hospital, Seoul, Korea

Received: June 9, 1988;  Accepted: July 6, 1988.

Abstract

There is controversy as to whether maternal serum ferritin level influences the level of ferritin in the cord blood serum of newborns or not. The present study was designed to evalulate the influence of iron storage status of mothers on the newborn infant. Paired samples from 51 uncomplicated pregnant women and their newborns who were admitted to the department of OB & GY, National Police Hospital from January, 1987 to July, 1987 were analyzed for Hb, Het, MCHC and serum ferritin concentration. The results were as follows; 1) Of the 51 cases reviewed, there was a significant difference between maternal and cord serum ferritin levels (p< 0.001). The serum ferritin level is more than 8.5 times higher in the cord blood serum than in maternal serum. 2) Selected mothers were divided into two groups. Group A consisting of women whose serum ferritin valuse were 6 ng/ml or less at the time of delivery and Group B whose values were greater than 6 ng/ml. The difference in ferritin levels in two groups on mothers was highly significant statisically (p<0.01)，but no significant difference of serum ferritin level in newborns born to either Group A or B mothers, 3) There was no significant difference between mean serum ferritin level in the newborn born to either anemic (Hb<12 g/dl) or non—anemic (Hb≥ 12 g/dl) mlthers. 4) The maternal and cord serum ferritin concentrations had no significant difference with parity, nor did the birth weight show any correlation with the cord serum ferritin level. 5) There was significant difference between iron supplemented (16 cases) and non—supplement- ed group (35 cases) with respect to maternal ferritin level (p<0.1). And, we found no difference in cord serum ferritin between two groups of mothers.

Keywords :Maternal and Cord Serum Ferritin