Coagulation parameters in maternal and cord blood at delivery

ABSTRACT

A wide range of hemostatic variable were studied in 300 maternal/neonatal pairts at the time of delivery and also in 375 healthy nonpregnant women who served as control. There was significant prologation of the prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and reptilase time in neonatal [cord] blood compared to maternal blood. The plasma levels of fibrinogen, antithrombin III, protein C, plasminogen, factors VIII coagulant and ristocetin cofactor activities, factors X, and platelet counts were significantly lower in neonatal than matyernal plasma. In contrast, the thrombin time, alpha2-antiplasmin, and serum fibrin degradation products showed comparable values for both mothers and neonates. von Willebrand factor antigen showed a more significant elevation in mothers than neonates; however, the ratio of von Willebrand factor antigen/factor VIII coagulant was similar in both [1.56 and 1.57, respectively]. There was a significant correlation only between factor VIII coagulant levels in mothers and their babies [r=0.69; P < 0.05] but not for the other hemostatic variables studied. The differences between our results and those reported in smaller published studies are discussed