Abstract
Objective This study aims to evaluate the use of umbilical cord blood as an alternative to
the admission complete blood count (CBC) in the well-appearing late preterm neonates
admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.
Study Design Paired umbilical cord and admission blood CBC samples from well late preterm infants
were compared using a two-sample t-test or analysis of variance with an unequal variance for differences in the hemoglobin,
platelet counts, white blood cell, and absolute neutrophil counts.
Results A total of 100 infants were enrolled in the study. The study included 46 females,
5 Asian, 9 Black, 35 Hispanic, 51 White, with a mean gestational age of 35.3 ± 1 weeks
(range: 34–36.5 weeks), and a mean birth weight of 2,347 ± 491 g (range: 1,840–4,260
g). Around 80% were appropriate for gestational age, 5% were large for gestational
age, and 15% were small for gestational age. The median difference between the cord
and admission blood samples were hemoglobin: 1.1 g/dL, platelet: 7.50 × 103 cells/μL, white blood cell count: 2.3 × 103 cells/μL, and absolute neutrophil count: 0.6 × 103 cells/μL.
Conclusion The cord and admission blood testing were not statistically or clinically different
when compared. In well late preterm infants, the NICU admission blood CBC may be replaced
with an umbilical cord blood CBC.
Keywords
cord blood - late preterm - infants - platelets - hemoglobin - leukocytes - pain
