Neonatal blood rheological parameters at delivery in healthy neonates and in those with morbidities

Rheological blood parameters of neonates are different form those of adults. Many authors have studied changes in blood rheology in neonates in different clinical disorders. To-date, no one set the normal values for blood rheological parameters in healthy neonates. The aim of this study is to set the norm for rheological blood parameters in healthy newborns and to describe the changes in those parameters in common clinical disorders that affect the newborns. We recruited all the neonates born to mothers experiencing un eventful pregnancies, blood was taken from the umbilical cord right after the delivery. In this time period we recruited 4985 neonate. From this huge database we were able to set the standards for blood rheology in neonates, namely plasma viscosity of 1.06±0.072 mPa, erythrocyte aggregation at stasis of 2.41±2.74 s-1 and erythrocyte aggregation under low shear forces of 8.51±6.38 s-1. These values changed significantly in some diseased neonates. This is the largest study investigating normal rheological parameters and deviations from the norm in common clinical disorders occurring in this early stage of life.