Comparison of Selected Blood Characteristics in Women with Vaginal Delivery and Preterm Labor Referred to the Maternity Ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Dehdasht, Iran

Due to the increasing number of premature births in recent years, high mortality rate of premature infants, and high risk of future disability of these children, it is necessary to obtain information on preterm labors and ways to diagnose premature neonates. This study aimed to compare the selected blood characteristics of women with term and preterm labors referring to the maternity ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Dehdasht, Iran.

This cross-sectional was conducted on 110 women referred to the maternity ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Dehdasht, Iran, during 2019. The participants were divided into two groups of the term (n=80) and preterm (n=30) labors. Simple random sampling was performed, and after obtaining the informed consent, blood iron, blood platelet, body mass index (BMI), white and red blood cell count, ferritin, and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) were examined in this study. The data were analyzed in SPSS software through an independent t-test.

The results showed that the mean blood iron, blood platelet, BMI, white blood cells, ferritin, and TIBC were higher in women with term labor, compared to those with preterm delivery (p < 0.05). Moreover, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the mean red blood cell count (P> 0.05).

Considering the necessity and importance of improving the level of healthy fertility, significance of maternal and infant health index as national health indicators, prevalence of some blood factor deficiency and its complications, and importance of normal BMI in the course of pregnancy and low-risk delivery, it is critical to pay attention to these factors to reduce preterm labors.