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[Hematologic changes in children small for gestational age]
Insights
Children born small for gestational age exhibit significant hematologic and coagulation abnormalities, including polycythemia and prolonged clotting times. These changes were less pronounced in appropriately grown infants, highlighting risks for growth-restricted neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Pediatric Hematology
- Perinatology
Context:
- Investigated hematologic and coagulation status in neonates.
- Compared infants small for gestational age (SGA) with those appropriate for gestational age (AGA).
- Included 60 neonates with gestational ages between 31-39 weeks and birth weights of 950-2650 grams.
Purpose:
- To examine hematologic and coagulation changes in SGA neonates.
- To compare these changes with those in AGA neonates.
- To identify specific hematologic and coagulation alterations associated with intrauterine growth restriction.
Summary:
- SGA neonates (n=34) showed polycythemia, hyperviscosity, thrombocytopenia, reticulosis, and leucopenia.
- Coagulation abnormalities in SGA infants included prolonged thrombin time, prothrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time.
- Decreased fibrinogen, elevated fibrin degradation products, reduced vitamin K-dependent factors, and lower antithrombin III were observed in SGA infants.
- AGA neonates (n=26) exhibited significantly fewer hematologic and coagulation disturbances.
Impact:
- Highlights the hematologic and coagulation risks in neonates with intrauterine growth restriction.
- Provides data for understanding the pathophysiology of SGA-related complications.
- Informs clinical monitoring and management strategies for high-risk neonates.
Abstract:
Haematologic and coagulation changes were examined in 60 children whose gestation age was between the 31st and the 39th week and body weight from 950-2650 grams. There were 34 children smaller than they should be for their gestation development, and 26 children whose development correlated with the gestation period. In small children haematologic changes were dominated by polycythaemia with hyperviscosity, thrombocytopenia, reticulosis and leucopenia. The most significant coagulation changes were expressed by prolonged thrombin-time, prothrombin-time and partially thromboplastin-time, decreased fibrinogen with fibrin degradating products, decreased vitamin K factors dependent on coagulation and antithrombin III. In children with normal gestation maturity haematologic and coagulation changes were significantly lower.