Comparative study of hemoglobin and packed volume levels in term and preterm babies delivered in RMMCH

Background: Most existing accounts of hemoglobin values in healthy premature infants covering the early weeks of life were written before many of the errors of such determinations were recognized. Because of these limitations, it was decided to review the normal values for the first three months of life. The results were compared with a small series of readings made on a group of healthy, full-term infants. Aim: To compare hemoglobin and packed volume levels in term and preterm babies. Materials and methods: Sixty pregnant women who came from in and around Chidambaram who fulfilled the inclusion criteria during the period from July 2001 to March 2002 were included in this study. Among them, 50 delivered at term (37 to 42 weeks) and the rest delivered prematurely (< 37 weeks). Hemoglobin and packed cell volume as measured by standardized technique. The results were analyzed accordingly. Results: The estimated mean hemoglobin concentration of the term babies was 10.88 gm% with the standard deviation of 1.5 gm%. For preterm babies, the mean hemoglobin concentration was 10.33 gm% with the standard deviation of 2 gm%. The mean calculated packed cell volume (PCV) of the term babies was 34.03% and the standard deviation was found to be 5%. The mean packed cell volume of the premature babies in the present study was found to be 32.75% with the standard deviation of 6.5%. Conclusion: Anemia of prematurity is a multifactorial anemia characterized by low levels of erythropoietin (EPO), iatrogenic blood loss, low circulating blood volume and lack of erythropoiesis. It is a problem due to the high incidence, associated symptoms and increased transfusion requirements. It is a normochromic normocytic anemia hypo-regenerative that occurs between the 2nd and 6th weeks of age in premature infants with gestational age (GA) up to 35 weeks.