ABSTRACT
The aggregation of platelets collected from maternal/neonatal pairs (n = 240) at the time of childbirth, was studied in response to multiple doses of ADP, collagen, arachidonic acid and ristocetin. Similar responses were obtained from healthy nonpregnant adult controls for comparison. The lag phase, slope of the aggregation curves as well as maximum aggregation (MA%) were recorded and analysed. Neonatal and adult platelets exhibited more enhanced responses to decreasing doses of ADP, arachidonic acid and ristocetin, than maternal platelets. These enhanced responses were exhibited more consistently in the slopes of the aggregation curves than in MA%. Although neonatal platelets have shown longer lag phase in their responses to collagen, the rate of the aggregation reaction was significantly faster than maternal platelets, with no differences in MA%. These results contradict many previous reports suggesting impaired aggregation responses of neonatal platelets to these agonist. The possible reasons for these contradictions were discussed.
Subject(s)
Infant, Newborn/blood , Maternal-Fetal Exchange , Platelet Aggregation , Adenosine Diphosphate/pharmacology , Adolescent , Adult , Arachidonic Acid , Arachidonic Acids/pharmacology , Collagen/pharmacology , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Pregnancy , Ristocetin/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Serum ferritin was measured in 51 term normal pregnant mothers and the corresponding cord blood samples. All of the mothers had received prophylactic oral iron and folate during pregnancy. The mean (+/-SD) maternal serum ferritin at the end of pregnancy was 58 +/- 42.9 microgram/l (range 16-201 microgram/l), compared to a mean of 183.2 +/- 61.2 microgram/l (range 62-313 microgram/l) in these newborns. No correlation was found between the serum ferritin of mothers and babies, nor between the serum ferritin and serum iron of mothers at the end of pregnancy or between these parameters in the newborn.
