Associations between spontaneous preterm birth and maternal-newborn ABO blood phenotype pairs.
OBJECTIVE
To study whether spontaneous preterm birth (SPB) is associated with maternal-newborn ABO blood phenotype pairs.


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective case-control study in the Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz Hospital, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of 631 live singleton SPBs (less than 37 weeks) between August 2005 and May 2011 formed the case group. A total of 2,204 live singleton term births (greater than or equal to 37 weeks) between May 2008 and April 2009 formed the control group. We extracted data on the mothers and their newborns from our neonatal electronic database and delivery room log book. We extracted ABO blood phenotypes using Cerner's Lab Information Software. We used a Chi square test to study the association between SPB and maternal-newborn ABO pairs. We used a combination of maternal-newborn A-A, B-B, AB-AB, and O-O pairs as the reference group. We used a binary logistic regression analysis to adjust for 6 established risk factors for SPB.


RESULTS
Spontaneous preterm birth was associated with only maternal-newborn pairs B-A (odds ratio: 2.67, 95% confidence interval: 1.35-5.24, p=0.003) and AB-B (odds ratio: 1.97, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-3.74, p=0.04). Both associations remained significant in the regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Spontaneous preterm birth is associated with maternal-newborn B-A and AB-B pairs. This finding requires further confirmatory and exploratory study as it could reduce SPBs.
Department of Pediatrics, MC 315, King Abdulaziz Hospital for National Guard, PO Box 2477, Al-Ahsa 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (3) 5910000 Ext. 33386. Fax. +966 (3) 5910000 Ext. 33844. E-mail: abdis@ngha.med.sa.
Sameer Y
SY
Al-Abdi
Maryam A
MA
Al-Aamri
Kamal I
KI
Dabelah
Taher A
TA
Mousa
Najeeb G
NG
Al-Rahman
Hussien I
HI
Bukhamsien
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System