Umbilical Cord Blood Rheology in Relation to Maternal Disease and Fetal Hypoxia

Abstract

Erythrocyte aggregation was studied in 60 samples of cord blood taken at delivery from neonates whose mothers suffered from hypertension or diabetes in pregnancy or from neonates who showed hypoxia during labor. Eryhtrocyte aggregation significantly increased in the cord blood of neonates who suffered from hypoxia during labor, and in neonates from hypertensive and diabetic mothers. The effects of maternal disease or intrapartum hypoxia may therefore stimulate fetal erythropoiesis and cause major changes in cord blood rheology.

Altered fetal circulation in type‐1 diabetic pregnancies

“…These changes in fetal circulation might be a compensatory reaction to the existence of a chronic hypoxemic situation. Such an existence is suggested by the higher hemoglobin levels in newborns of diabetic mothers as described in earlier publications13–15 and also by the elevated number of nucleated red blood cells in well‐controlled diabetic pregnancies13, 16. Moreover, hypoxemia has been found at cordocentesis, especially in cases of increased maternal and fetal glucose levels17.…”

Fetal Blood Cell Membrane Fluidity in Small for Gestational Age Fetuses

“…This decrease can be explained by a lower fusion activation energy in IUGR fetuses. Since this energy may be defined as the capac ity of the membrane to modify its properties under physical contraints, this could be a par tial explanation of the blood flow modifica tions observed in umbilico-placental circula tion of growth-retarded fetuses [20].…”