Hematological Profile of Non-infected Preterm Neonates in Eastern Morocco: A Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Care...

Background Preterm neonates are at increased risk of hematological abnormalities. However, region-specific reference values remain poorly defined in Morocco. This study aimed to provide descriptive regional data on hematological parameters in non-infected preterm neonates and to compare these parameters across three gestational age subgroups, namely, extremely preterm (<28 weeks), very preterm (28-31 weeks), and moderate preterm (32-36 weeks), admitted to a tertiary care center in Eastern Morocco. Methodology We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of preterm neonates (<37 weeks) admitted within the first 72 hours of life to the Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mohammed VI University Hospital, Oujda, between January and December 2023. Neonates with infection or significant maternal/perinatal conditions were excluded. Hematological parameters were analyzed according to gestational age group. Results A total of 112 non-infected preterm neonates were included. Statistically significant differences between gestational age groups were found for white blood cells (p = 0.009), neutrophils (p = 0.0004), mean corpuscular volume (p = 0.0006), and platelet counts (p = 0.022). Overall, hematological parameters were lower than those reported in international studies. Conclusions This study provides preliminary regional hematological data for preterm neonates. Differences from international values highlight the need for population-specific reference ranges.