Background: Reevaluation of normal red cell values in the cord blood is necessary since these values were established before the use of automated analysers and the introduction of iron supplementation during pregnancy.
Population and methods: Cord blood samples from all healthy babies from Monday to Friday for 2 months have been analysed for red cell count and red cell indices, hemoglobin concentration, hemoglobin electrophoresis, serum and erythrocyte ferritin concentration. The results were compared for the mothers to age, parity and duration of iron supplementation and for the neonates to gestational age and birth weight.
Results: One hundred and fifty-nine neonates were studied; 87% of their 154 mothers had been given iron during pregnancy. Mean red cell indices were found to be slightly below those of previous reports in the literature. They were associated with mean ferritin concentrations of 135 micrograms/l and 348 ag/cell for plasma and erythrocytic ferritin, respectively.
Conclusion: There were no correlations between red cell indices and ferritin values in such an iron-repleted population.