The presence of a supporting person during delivery affects cord blood haematopoietic stem cells

J Obstet Gynaecol. 2014 Apr;34(3):245-7. doi: 10.3109/01443615.2013.844111. Epub 2014 Jan 31.

Abstract

Several randomised trials have shown that support during labour improves the outcomes of both mother and the newborn. There is a lack of information concerning the influence of the supporting person on cord blood haematopoietic stem cells (CB HSCs), thus, these cells have been determined to be a suitable graft source for haematopoietic transplantations. This study was aimed to examine the relation between the presence of the accompanying person during labour and some features of CB HSCs. Interestingly, we found that supported deliveries were characterised by lower CB volume and lower counts of HSCs and mononuclear cells in CB. We concluded that the presence of a supporting person during labour seems to affect the yield of HSCs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Delivery, Obstetric / psychology*
  • Doulas
  • Female
  • Fetal Blood / cytology*
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells*
  • Humans
  • Labor, Obstetric / blood
  • Labor, Obstetric / psychology*
  • Parturition / blood
  • Parturition / psychology*
  • Pregnancy