Comparison of serum and breast milk ferritin valdes with some hematological parameters in the perinatal period

SUMMARY COMPARISON OF SERUM AND BREAST MILK FERRITIN VALUES WITH SOME HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN THE PERINATAL PERIOD This study was planned to investigate whether the status of the iron metabolism of the infant could be predicted in advance, with making a comparison between serum and breast milk ferritin values along with some hematological parameters of the mother and the infant during the antenatal, natal and postnatal periods. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum iron and iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation and ferritin levels of -the mothers at pregnancy and of their babies both at delivery and at 8-10 weeks of age were determined. Data was evaluated at the Ege University Computer Center with the correlative analysis, variant analysis, and t test techniques and the level of significance was determined on the basis of p<^0.05. When the relationships among the parameters were studied, there was a significant difference among the mean values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation and ferritin within each group. No statistically significant difference was found neither between hemoglobin hematocrit values of mothers and infants nor between the serum total iron binding capacities in cord bloods and in the infants. The pregnant women were divided into two groups with hemoglobin and hematocrit values equal to or less than 11 G/dl and 33% respectively and those with values above these limits. Although a significant difference was found among the mean valuesof hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum iron, total iron binding capacity and transferrin saturation between these two groups, no significant difference was determined among the ferritin values. In cord bloods from these subjects only serum iron values showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Other parameters in cord bloods were not statistically different from those in the infants. Similarly, among the 8-10 weeks old infants a comparison was made between the group with hemoglobin and hematocrit values equal to or less than 11 G/dl and 33% respectively and the group with higher \ /hemoglobin, hematocrit values. The parameters in the cord blood of these two groups of infants and the parameters obtained from their mothers near term did not reveal any statistically significant difference. No significant difference was found among the mean serum ferritin values, when the pregnant women were categorized into those with ferritin levels below and above 12 ng/ml. All the anemic mothers revealed the findings of iron deficiency anemia. On the other hand only one of the babies showed iron deficiency anemia, while the others displayed only the manifestations of the physiologic anemia of infancy. These findings suggest that an iron deficiency anemia with values around the levels in mothers included in this study does not significantly affect the hematological values in cord blood and in the infants 8 to 10 weeks old with respect to iron deficiency and moreover support the idea that the fetus acts as an endoparasite utilizing all the iron necessary for himself from the mother. In our study, a significant relationship (r:0.535) was found between the ferritin values in cord blood and of the infant when th 8-10 weeks old.Theref ore it could be stated that during the 8 and 10 week of postnatal period serum ferritin of the infant ispossibly derived mainly from the fetal ferritin. Moreover a statistically significant difference was found between the ferritin values in mature breast milk of the anemic mothers and of those in the control group. Altough no apparent effect of this was observed on the infant's hematological values, it was postulated that the diminished bacteriostatic effect of the ferritin in the gastrointestinal system of the anemic mothers babies might be increasing the susceptibility to infection in the newborn. WÜÎSseköğretim Kurula