Effect of Severe Maternal Preeclampsia on the Hematological Profile of Newborn in Baghdad Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia affects a range of 2% to 8% of pregnancies globally. It may induce inadequate placental perfusion during pregnancy, resulting in insufficient blood flow to the fetus, which exposes the infant to hypoxia and disrupts neonatal hematopoietic stem cells. Aim of study: To evaluate the hematological disturbances in newborns of women with preeclampsia mothers.  Patients and methods: The study has been conducted in the Obstetric Department and Labor Ward of Baghdad Teaching Hospital/ Medical City, Baghdad. The data was collected from the 1st of January 2024 to the 1st of November 2024. A total of 400 pregnant women were enrolled in this study; 200 pregnant women with pre-eclampsia (cases) and 200 normotensive pregnant women as controls. Results: patients diagnosed with preeclampsia exhibited significantly elevated levels of hemoglobin, total red blood cell count, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and reticulocyte count. Whereas, cases demonstrated significantly lower total leukocyte count, neutrophil percentage, absolute neutrophil count, lymphocyte percentage and platelet count. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the current study, neonates born to mother of preeclampsia had significantly higher RBC count and lower WBC and platelet counts; and thus, they showed significantly higher risk for polycythemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia.