title: Comparison of nucleated red blood cells in the umbilical cord of term neonates in healthy women and women with preeclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asphyxia is a common cause of perinatal mortality in 5-10% of all births worldwide. The present parameters for determining perinatal asphyxia, e.g. preeclampsia, cannot be considered as markers per se, and require auxiliary markers, e.g. increased number of nucleated red blood (NRBC) cells, for early diagnosis of perinatal asphyxia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we evaluated the mean NRBC count in preeclampsia and to determine the usefulness of the NRBC as independent prognostic factors of perinatal complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study in order to compare the NRBC in the umbilical cord of term neonates born to 50 mothers with preeclampsia and 150 normal mothers. The exclusion criteria were mother's affliction with complications of pregnancy and inexact last menstrual period. The variables under study were maternal and neonatal data. The count of NRBC was determined with standard laboratory procedures in the blood samples from umbilical cord of the neonates. The acquired data were fed into SPSS 16 software and analyzed using statistical tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean value of NRBC count was significantly higher in preeclamptic women (p<0.0001). The average 1(st) and 5(th) minute Apgar scores were significantly higher in normal mothers (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increase of NRBC in neonates born to mothers with preeclampsia may be due to chronic hypoxia; this group of neonates has increased risk and requires more precise and extensive care during delivery and after birth in order to have reduced mortality and complications during the neonatal period.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Guilan, Iran.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faraji Darkhaneh
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Education, Reproductive Health Research Center, Social Determinant of Health Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
authors.forename: Atefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghanbari
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Guilan, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asgharnia
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Guilan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kian