Association between umbilical cord blood laboratory findings with early onset neonatal sepsis

Finding an efficient biomarker or combination of them as predictors of early-onset neonatal sepsis is very important. On the other hand, the use of umbilical cord blood samples in laboratory tests, along with its simplicity and availability, reflects neonate metabolic status.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between umbilical cord blood laboratory findings with early onset neonatal sepsis.

In this cross-sectional analytical study, we evaluated 180 neonates, 90 infants susceptible to early onset sepsis, and 90 healthy neonates who were admitted in neonatal and  neonatal intensive care unit wards, between January 2015 and 2016   at Kosar Hospital. The data from these participants were obtained by a check list including  gender,  birth weight, gestational age, white blood cell count, neutrophil counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and reactive protein C (CRP) levels. Both descriptive and statistical analysis methods were applied. P value less than  0.05, statistically was significant.

Mean of ESR and neutrophil count in cord blood sample of suspected sepsis neonates was higher than well baby.  The mean of CRP levels in cord blood sample of suspected sepsis neonates slightly was higher than well baby. But there was no statistically significant difference between the CRP levels in both groups.

The results of this study showed that  the laboratory findings used in combination with each other as an early predictor of neonatal sepsis was  reliable.