Correlation between maternal and cord blood haematocrit among term singleton deliveries at a tertiary hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20253877Keywords:
Maternal anaemia, Cord blood haematocrit, Neonatal anaemia, Term pregnancy, Sub-Saharan AfricaAbstract
Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa as it contributes significantly to maternal and neonatal morbidity. Maternal haematocrit reflects the oxygen-carrying capacity of the red blood cells, and its relationship with cord blood haematocrit provides insight into fetoplacental oxygen transfer. The study aims to determine the correlation between maternal and cord blood haematocrit and to identify predictors of neonatal anaemia among term singleton deliveries at a tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted at Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Nigeria. Ninety-five term pregnant women and their neonates were recruited consecutively. Maternal venous and umbilical cord blood samples were taken and analysed for haematocrit. Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between maternal and cord blood haematocrit, while binary logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of neonatal anaemia. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Result: There was a significant positive correlation between maternal and cord blood haematocrit (ρ=0.299, p=0.003). Neonates of non-anaemic mothers had a higher median cord haematocrit [46.0 (44.8–48.0)%] than those of anaemic mothers [43.0 (39.5–47.5)%] (p=0.009). Logistic regression identified maternal anaemia as the only independent predictor of neonatal anaemia (AOR=0.19, 95% CI=0.07–0.50, p=0.001).
Conclusion: Maternal haematocrit showed a significant positive correlation with cord blood haematocrit, confirming maternal anaemia as a key determinant of neonatal anaemia among term singleton deliveries.
Metrics
References
Ngonzi J, Tibaijuka L, Kintu TM, Kihumuro RB, Ahabwe O, Byamukama O, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for newborn anemia in southwestern Uganda: a cross-sectional study. Anemia. 2024;2024:1-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5320330
Alegbeleye JO, Abam DS, Orazulike NC. Outcome of maternal anaemia on cord haemoglobin of the newborn in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. J Biosci Med. 2020;8:142-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jbm.2020.85014
Ohuma EO, Jabin N, Young MF, Epie T, Martorell R, Peña-Rosas JP, et al. Association between maternal haemoglobin concentrations and maternal and neonatal outcomes: the prospective, observational, multinational, INTERBIO-21st fetal study. Lancet Haematol. 2023;10(9):e756-66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3026(23)00170-9
Belete NK, Belete AG, Assefa DT, Sorrie MB, Teshale MY. Effects of maternal anemia on low birth weight in sub-Saharan African countries: systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2025;20(6):e0325450. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325450
Tamirat KS, Sisay MM, Tesema GA, Tessema ZT. Determinants of adverse birth outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa: analysis of recent demographic and health surveys. BMC Public Health. 2021;21:1092. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11113-z
Gragasin FS, Ospina MB, Serrano-Lomelin J, Kim SH, Kokotilo M, Woodman AG, et al. Maternal and cord blood hemoglobin as determinants of placental weight: a cross-sectional study. J Clin Med. 2021;10:997. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10050997
Watkins VY, Frolova AI, Stout MJ, Carter EB, Macones GA, Cahill AG, et al. The relationship between maternal anemia and umbilical cord oxygen content at delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2021;3(1):100270. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajogmf.2020.100270
Bujang MA, Baharum N. Sample size guideline for correlation analysis. World J Soc Sci Res. 2016;3(1):37-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22158/wjssr.v3n1p37
Ibadin MO, Akpede GO. A revised scoring scheme for the classification of socio-economic status in Nigeria. Niger J Paediatr. 2021;48(1):26-33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/njp.v48i1.5
Timilsina S, Karki S, Gautam A, Bhusal P, Paudel G, Sharma D. Correlation between maternal and umbilical cord blood in pregnant women of Pokhara Valley: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018;18:70. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-018-1697-1
Fente BM, Asnake AA, Negussie YM, Asmare ZA, Asebe HA, Seifu BL, et al. Estimating the impact of maternal anemia on low birth weight in sub-Saharan African countries: propensity score matching analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2025;25:783. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07923-3
Qaiser DH, Sandila MP, Omair A, Ghori GM. Correlation of routine haematological parameters between normal maternal blood and the cord blood of healthy newborns in selected hospitals of Karachi. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2013;23(2):128-31.
Sanni OB, Chambers T, Li JH, Rowe S, Woodman AG, Ospina MB, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the correlation between maternal and neonatal iron status and haematologic indices. EClinicalMedicine. 2020;27:100555. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100555
Debbarma R, Debbarma B, Devi MA. Effect of maternal anaemia on cord haemoglobin and birth weight of newborns. IOSR J Dent Med Sci. 2015;14(7):19-21.
Campbell RK, Tanna NK, Hartwig J, Buhimschi CS, Buhimschi IA. Determinants of the association between maternal anemia and neonatal hemoglobin. Nutrients. 2025;17(14):2292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142292
Satterfield MC, Edwards AK, Bazer FW, Dunlap KA, Steinhauser CB, Wu G. Placental adaptation to maternal malnutrition. Reproduction. 2021;162(4):R73-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-21-0179
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
