[Correlation between neonatal cord blood hemoglobin and hematocrit with mode of delivery]

Increased level of hemoglobin at birth is one of the essential iron storage in infants against iron deficiency anemia. Different causes could lead to decreased hemoglobin level at birth. To evaluate the association between cord blood hemoglobin and hematocrit levels and the mode of delivery [cesarean section against normal vaginal delivery]. This was an analytic cross-sectional study carried out on 100 normal vaginal delivery infants and equal number of babies delivered by cesarean section infants at Tehran Najmieh Hospital during 2005. Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were measured using cord blood samples. The data were analyzed by SPSS software using independent t test. In normal vaginal delivery infants, the mean hemoglobin content of cord blood was 15 +/- 1.7 g/dl and the mean hematocrit 46% +/- 4.9%. Similarly, the mean hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of cord blood among cesarean section infants were 14.6 +/- 1.9 g/dl and 45.6% +/- 5.7%, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the cord blood hemoglobin and mode of delivery. The levels of cord blood hemoglobin and hematocrit in cesarean section infants are lower than those in normal vaginal delivery infants hence, the former are more likely to be at risk of developing iron deficiency anemia than the recent group

Comparison of success rates in breastfeeding after vaginal delivery and cesarean section

The nutrition and immunity effects of breastfeeding have been known, so it seems important to identify effects of different factors on secretion of breast milk for encouraging the mothers to breastfeeding. In this analytic prospective study, the effects of different types of delivery on continuity of breastfeeding and better weight gain of newborns were evaluated in 200 newborns by normal vaginal delivery and 200 newborns by cesarean section, in 1383 at three hospitals in Tehran. The newborns weight in 1.5- and 3- month and the type of newborns nutrition were compared between two groups. Among vaginal delivery group, breast feeding was associated with full success in 70%, partial success in 21.5% and no success in 8.5%, while these figures were 48%, 29% and 23% in cesarean group, respectively. It seems to be longer time of breast feeding and better weight gain of infants in normal vaginal delivery comparing to cesarean section