Reference Intervals of Hematological Variables for Healthy Antepartum and Postpartum Women

Objective: To report the reference intervals for antepartum and postpartum hematological variables. Material and methods: The series consists of 488 women with a normal pregnancy duration of ?37 weeks and a normal delivery with a newborn weight >2500 g. Blood samples were obtained 24 hours before birth and 24 hours after birth. The following indicators were analyzed: white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HCT), platelet (PLT), and neutrophil (NE) counts. Reference values were calculated as the mean ±1.96 ×SD. Results: Compared with antepartum measurements, RBC, Hb, PLT, and HCT values declined at 24 hours postpartum (P < 0. 05), whereas WBC and NE values significantly increased (P < 0. 05). Conclusion: The characteristic changes occurring in hematological indices at 24 h antepartum and 24 h postpartum are described in this study. The results may be used as reference values in the assessment of blood infection in antepartum and postpartum women.