Nonreassuring fetal heart rate patterns and nucleated red blood cells in term neonates.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between nonreassuring fetal heart rate patterns during labor and umbilical cord nucleated red blood cell counts. METHODS: Nucleated red blood cell data was collected prospectively from 41 singleton term neonates presented with nonreassuring fetal heart rate patterns and/or meconium stained amniotic fluid during labor (study group) and from 45 term neonates without any evidence of nonreassuring fetal status (controls). Umbilical artery pH, blood gases and base excess were also determined to investigate the correlation between independent variables. RESULTS: The median nucleated red blood cells per 100 white blood cells were 13 (range 0-37) in the study group and 8 (range 0-21) in the control group. Stepwise regression analysis have identified meconium stained amniotic fluid (R(2) = 0.15, p < 0.0001) and umbilical artery PO(2) (R(2) = 0.1, p = 0.002) as independent variables associated with elevated NRBC counts in patients with nonreassuring fetal heart rate patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Nucleated red blood cells in the cord blood of newborns were found to be elevated in patients with nonreassuring FHR patterns during labor. However, the wide range and the poor correlation of NRBC count with umbilical artery pH and blood gas values limit its clinical utility as a marker for fetal hypoxia.

Effects of pregnancy and lactation on bone mineral density, and their relation to the serum calcium, phosphorus, calcitonin and parathyroid hormone levels in rats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the net changes in bone mineral density (BMD) during the reproductive cycle, and their relation with changes in serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), PTH and calcitonin levels in rats. Twenty-seven female Wistar rats were included in this study. They were divided into three groups as pregnant, lactating and control groups. BMDs of lumbar vertebrates, femoral and tibial bones, and Ca, P, calcitonin and PTH levels were measured at the end of pregnancy, at the end of lactation and in nulliparous controls. In the pregnant group, the BMDs of rats were significantly higher in lumbar vertebrates, femoral and tibia bones than those of the control group (p<0.05). Their PTH and Ca levels were significantly lower than the control group (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was found regarding P and calcitonin levels when compared to those of the control group. In the lactating group, the BMDs were significantly lower in lumbar vertebrates, femoral and tibia bones than those seen in the control and pregnant groups (p<0.05). Ca and PTH levels were significantly higher in lactating rats than in those of pregnant rats (p<0.005). Normal pregnancy increases BMD in rats, whereas lactation decreases it. Change in PTH levels is supposed to contribute to the mineralization and demineralization of the skeleton during pregnancy and lactation, respectively.