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Nucleated red blood cells in concordant, appropriate-for-gestational age twins
Galit Sheffer-Mimouni1, Yoav Littner, Francis B Mimouni
1Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that neonatal nucleated red blood cell (RBC) counts are elevated in nondiscordant twins compared with singletons.
Study Design:
We compared absolute nucleated RBC counts taken after birth in 2 groups of term, appropriate-for-gestational age infants; 74 concordant twins, and 29 singleton control infants. We excluded infants with factors associated with a potential increase in absolute nucleated RBC counts.
Results:
Birth weight and gestational age were significantly lower in twins than in singletons (P < .01). Hematocrit, absolute nucleated RBC count, and corrected lymphocyte counts were significantly higher in twins (P < .01). In multiple regression, the significantly higher absolute nucleated RBC count in twins remained significantly higher even after taking into account gestational age and Apgar scores.
Conclusion:
Concordant, appropriate-for-gestational age twins have increased nucleated RBCs at birth compared with singleton control infants.
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