Objective: to examine the hypothesis that maternal body mass index (BMI) (an index of maternal adiposity) correlates with cord blood concentrations of EPO.
Study design: Cross-sectional cohort study of consecutively born singleton term healthy infants born to mothers with various body mass indices (BMI). Excluded were infants with major factors known to be associated with a potential increase in fetal erythropoiesis. Pre-pregnacy maternal BMI was calculated from maternal recollection.
Results: there was a significant correlation between EPO concentrations and maternal BMI (R= 0.427, P= 0.007). This correlation remained significant in multiple stepwise regression analysis using the EPO concentration as the dependent variable, and maternal age, parity, gestational age, Apgar scores (1- or 5-minute) as potential confounders.
Conclusion: Cord blood concentrations of EPO correlate with maternal body mass index (BMI). We speculate that increasing maternal BMI may represent a relative hypoxic burden on the fetus.
Keywords: Fetal hypoxemia, obesity, nucleated red blood cells, term infants
Abbreviations:
BMI = Body mass index
NRBC = Nucleated red blood cells
EPO= Erythropoietin
IUFD= Intrauterine fetal death
