Fetal heart rate pattern and umbilical cord nucleated erythrocyte count: a cross-sectional study

Previous studies have suggested the presence of a relationship between the increase of Nucleated RBC (NRBC) and the duration and intensity of asphyxia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of fetal heart rate pattern and the number of NRBC’s in umbilical cord blood sample at birth. We enrolled 322 pregnant women with healthy, term fetuses who referred to Mirza Kouchak Khan Hospital for pregnancy termination in 2005 in a case-control study. All patients underwent continuous FHR monitoring and based on their FHR pattern, they were divided into two groups with normal FHR pattern and at least one abnormality in FHR pattern including absence of beat to beat variability