title: Antithrombin activity, platelet count, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit value determined immediately before vaginal delivery among healthy women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the normal reference values for antithrombin (AT) activity, platelet count (Plt), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), and hematocrit value (Ht) immediately before vaginal delivery among healthy pregnant women with singleton pregnancies and to determine association of these blood parameters with fetal growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  A complete blood count was performed and the AT activity was examined in 300 consecutive women admitted to hospital at > or = gestational week 36 for labor pains and/or the rupture of fetal membranes. All the women were normotensive and had singleton pregnancies, and none of the women had proteinuria, a weekly weight gain > or = 0.5 kg, or other specific complications upon admission. All the women attempted a vaginal delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The medians (5th-95th percentile) were 90% (71-110%) for AT activity, 234x10(9)/L (150-337x10(9)/L) for Plt, 11.0 g/dL (9.5-12.8 g/dL) for Hb, and 34.0% (30.4-38.6%) for Ht. Women with an Hb value of > or = the median (11.0 g/dL) gave birth to significantly smaller infants than their counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A considerable number of healthy women exhibit a reduced AT activity and/or platelet count immediately before delivery. Hemoconcentration evidenced by a raised Hb value adversely effects on infant growth. Our data may be helpful when considering the normal ranges of these blood parameters for healthy parturient women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Akaishi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Masamitsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Ryutaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Hisanori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Minakami
mesh_terms: D000991:Antithrombins / Q000097:blood*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000592:standards*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000592:standards*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000991:Antithrombins; D006454:Hemoglobins