Blood of & al L n y Mutua et al., J Blood Lymph 2018, 8:2 r m u p o h J Journal of Blood & Lymph DOI: 10.4172/2165-7831.1000220 ISSN: 2165-7831 Review Article Open Access Hematological Profile of Normal Pregnant Women David Nzioka Mutua1,2*, Eliud Nyaga Mwaniki Njagi1 and George Owino Orinda1 1Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya 2Department of Medical Biochemistry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Kenya Methodist University, Meru, Kenya Abstract With the advent of many interventions to improve maternal and child health, pregnant women have become the focus of many health programs. However, few data exist regarding this important population. Although pregnancy- induced changes occur in hematological values, very few laboratories provide specific reference ranges for pregnant women. Most laboratory information systems report reference values based on samples obtained from non–pregnant women which may not be useful for clinical decisions during pregnancy. Thus, there is an increased risk of overlooking important physiologic alterations resulting from pathological conditions and of misinterpreting normal changes as pathological events. It is therefore important to understand pregnancy-induced hematological changes for correct clinical evaluation of pregnant women. In this review, we discuss complete blood count and the associated pregnancy-induced hematological changes. We also highlight the dynamic changes of these parameters per trimester and show how they differ between populations. Keywords: Pregnancy; Complete blood count; Hematological Hematocrit (Hct), Hemoglobin (Hb or Hgb), Mean Corpuscular changes; Trimester Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) [5,26]. RBCs, Hgb Introduction and Hct can be measured directly in the lab, the rest are calculated Pregnancy, also known as gestation or gravidity, is a state in which based on previous values [27]. MCV, MCH and MCHC give evidence an embryo(s) implants unto maternal uterus and subsequently develops to support pathologies in RBCs [18,28]. The red corpuscular indices unto a fetus(es) [1]. Pregnancy starts at conception, when an ovum is give an overview of anemias and polycythemias while in parallel fertilized by a spermatozoon to form a zygote, and ends in childbirth, differentiating alcohol use, liver problems, thalassemia, kidney abortion or miscarriage [2,3]. It lasts 40 weeks from last menstruation problems and sickle cell disease [22,29,30]. or 38 weeks from conception date. Normal pregnancy term is 38 to 42 Blood volume increases in pregnancy by more than 50%, leading to weeks [4-6]. hemodilution [7]. This increase is greater than the associated increase With the advent of many interventions to improve maternal in the red blood cell mass resulting in physiological anemia (associated and child health, pregnant women have become the focus of many with low RBC, Hb, Hct. MCH, MCHC levels) [3]. The increase in blood health programs [7-10]. However, few data exist regarding this volume during gestation is attributed to reduced atrial-natriuretic important population. Although pregnancy-induced changes occur in peptide levels and increased plasma renin activity [12]. hematological values, very few laboratories provide specific reference Red blood cells ranges for pregnant women [11,12]. Most laboratory information systems report reference values based on samples obtained from non– Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most abundant cells in blood [27]. pregnant women which may not be useful for clinical decisions during The average number per µL is 5.2 million (range: 4.4-6.0 million). RBCs pregnancy [13-16]. Thus, there is an increased risk of overlooking are enucleated-biconcave corpuscles filled with hemoglobin [31]. They important physiologic alterations resulting from pathological transport oxygen from lungs to tissues and CO2 from tissues to lungs conditions and of misinterpreting normal changes as pathological [32]. Erythrocytes have life span of 120 days, after which their amino events [17-19]. It is therefore important to understand pregnancy- acids and iron are recycled. Reduced oxygen (hypoxia) triggers the induced hematological changes for correct clinical evaluation of kidney to release erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone responsible for pregnant women [20-22]. erythropoiesis [13]. In this review, we discuss complete blood count and the associated Polycythemia vera, high altitude, smoking, blood loss, alcoholism, pregnancy-induced hematological changes. We also highlight the liver disease, congenital heart disease and chronic obstructive dynamic changes of these parameters per trimester and show how they pulmonary disease (COPD) creates hypoxic conditions leading to differ between populations (Table 1). polycythemia (high RBC count) [33,34]. Conditions that reduce body Complete blood count The complete blood count (CBC) is a blood panel that gives *Corresponding author: David Nzioka Mutua, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Kenyatta University, PO Box cell type in patient’s blood [22,23]. These cell types are red blood 43844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya, Tel: +254720261585; E-mail: [email protected] cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes) [24]. A normal adult has about 5 L of blood (2 L of Received June 04, 2018; Accepted June 25, 2018; Published June 28, 2018 blood cells and 3 L plasma). All blood cells are synthesized in the bone Citation: Mutua DN, Njagi ENM, Orinda GO (2018) Hematological Profile of marrow’s hematopoietic stem cells [25]. Normal Pregnant Women. J Blood Lymph 8: 220. doi:10.4172/2165-7831.1000220 Copyright: © 2018 Mutua DN, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under Red blood cell indices the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and Red blood cell indices include Red Blood Cell (RBC) count, source are credited. J Blood Lymph, an open access journal ISSN: 2165-7831 Volume 8 • Issue 2 • 1000220 Citation: Mutua DN, Njagi ENM, Orinda GO (2018) Hematological Profile of Normal Pregnant Women. J Blood Lymph 8: 220. doi:10.4172/2165- 7831.1000220 Page 2 of 6 Variable Trimester Libya [2] Sudan [14] Nigeria [16] India [21] China [58] Ethiopia [60] RBC (×106/mm3) 1st 4.09 ± 0.08 4.30 ± 0.36 2.91 ± 1.2 4.003 ± 0.42 4.05 ± 0.36 4.27 ± 0.62 2nd 4.22 ± 1.10 4.35 ± 0.36 4.40 ± 1.6 4.067 ± 0.24 3.66 ± 0.33 4.32 ± 0.46 3rd 4.03 ± 0.08 4.08 ± 0.44 3.03 ± 2.3 4.157 ± 1.83 3.79 ± 0.36 4.46 ± 0.43 HB (g/dL) 1st 11.27 ± 0.19 10.81 ± 1.22 11.6 ± 2.1 10.48 ± 0.89 12.20 ± 0.92 12.94 ± 1.70 2nd 10.84 ± 0.23 10.62 ± 0.93 14.7 ± 1.9 10.06 ± 1.04 11.30 ± 0.89 13.07 ± 0.5 3rd 10.61 ± 0.26 10.83 ± 1.13 12.0 ± 3.1 10.02 ± 1.26 11.50 ± 0.99 13.38 ± 1.25 HCT (%) 1st 34.72 ± 0.69 35.38 ± 3.52 30.2 ± 1.8 37.51 ± 2.6 36.00 ± 2.55 39.18 ± 6.70 2nd 33.35 ± 0.90 34.43 ± 2.51 40.9 ± 2.3 32.88 ± 2.96 34.00 ± 2.30 40.53 ± 3.77 3rd 32.60 ± 0.87 35.15 ± 3.18 31.1 ± 3.0 33.7 ± 3.27 35.00 ± 2.81 41.96 ± 3.70 MCV (fL) 1st 85.27 ± 1.22 82.68 ± 7.64 91.3 ± 2.4 81.86 ± 7.43 90.30 ± 4.06 93.18 ± 3.87 2nd 79.59 ± 1.87 85.16 ± 6.99 92.9 ± 1.5 82.89 ± 8.35 93.40 ± 4.72 94.19 ± 4.21 3rd 81.45 ± 1.97 86.40 ± 6.51 102.6 ± 0.9 85.69 ± 13.9 93.20 ± 5.48 94.23 ± 5.30 MCH (pg) 1st 27.78 ± 0.45 25.16 ± 2.78 31.3 ± 4.1 26.15 ± 2.86 30.60 ± 1.43 30.48 ± 2.20 2nd 26.09 ± 0.68 26.68 ± 5.84 33.4 ± 2.3 26.96 ± 3.31 31.20 ± 1.81 30.47 ± 2.64 3rd 26.67 ± 0.72 26.57 ± 2.56 39.5 ± 3.0 27.31 ± 2.54 31.00 ± 2.04 30.21 ± 2.33 MCHC (g/dL) 1st 32.65 ± 0.45 30.45 ± 1.19 34.2 ± 1.6 31.49 ± 2.87 33.80 ± 0.82 33.70 ± 2.27 2nd 33.03 ± 0.75 30.80 ± 1.16 35.9 ± 2.7 32.99 ± 1.97 33.30 ± 1.02 33.29 ± 8.55 3rd 32.78 ± 0.54 30.73 ± 1.13 38.5 ± 1.8 30.47 ± 6.65 33.00 ± 1.07 32.08 ± 1.53 WBC (×103/mm) 1st 8.39 ± 0.36 7.69 ± 1.96 4.8 ± 2.6 7.9 ± 1.4 8.30 ± 2.02 - 2nd 7.69 ± 0.31 8.45 ± 1.97 5.8 ± 3.7 9.7 ± 2.4 9.50 ± 2.22 - 3rd 8.72 ± 0.32 8.36±2.11 7.81±1.7 10.17 ± 2.1 9.10 ± 2.17 - Neutrophil (%) 1st 62.27 ± 1.56 - 67.7 ± 2.9 63.44 ± 9.09 - - 2nd 66.47 ± 1.32 - 52.0 ± 1.8 73.77 ± 7.22 - - 3rd 67.46 ± 1.07 - 68.0 ± 3.2 70.66 ± 9.05 - - Eosinophil (%) 1st - - 6.5 ± 1.1 63.44 ± 9.09 - - 2nd - - 5.2 ± 1.5 3.58 ± 1.13 - - 3rd - - 6.7 ± 3.3 3.60 ± 1.37 - - Monocyte (%) 1st - - 1.2 ± 0.8 4.31 ± 0.59 - - 2nd - - 1.0±0.5 3.38 ± 0.81 - - 3rd - - 1.0±1.1 3.40 ± 1.10 - - RDW 1st - 13.99 ± 1.76 14.5 ± 0.8 14.07 ± 1.01 - - 2nd - 14.33 ± 2.31 15.1 ± 1.2 15.07 ± 2.43 - - 3rd - 13.82 ± 1.72 15.5 ± 2.2 18.90 ± 3.85 - - Lymphocyte (×103/mm3) 1st 27.73±1.38 - 24.6 ± 4.7 28.50 ± 8.47 - - 2nd 26.10 ± 1.12 - 41.8 ± 1.5 19.65 ± 5.91 - - 3rd 25.53 ± 0.85 - 24.3 ± 2.7 19.89 ± 6.81 - - Platelets (×103/mm3) 1st 241.7 ± 7.4 - 120 ± 4.7 - 164.00 ± 50.77 243.87 ± 64.38 2nd 234.9 ± 8.20 - 140 ± 1.5 - 155.00 ± 46.94 230.78 ± 71.09 3rd 204.8 ± 7.40 - 106 ± 2.3 - 150.00 ± 45.15 223.74 ± 66.42 Table 1: Comparison of hematological reference ranges for pregnant women from different countries.