Are elevated fetal nucleated red blood cell counts an indirect reflection of enhanced erythropoietin activity?
Ferber A; Fridel Z; Weissmann-Brenner A; Minior VK; Divon MY Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lenox-Hill Hospital, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA. OBJECTIVE: Animal and human studies demonstrated elevated erythropoietin (EPO) levels in response to intrauterine hypoxic events. Other studies documented an association between fetal hypoxia and elevated nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) counts and have speculated that it is the elevation of EPO that results in an increase in NRBC counts. Thus, the purpose of our study was to determine the correlation between EPO levels and NRBC counts in the human fetus. STUDY DESIGN: Data were collected prospectively between April and July of 2003. Term singleton pregnancies were eligible to participate in the study. Umbilical cord blood was collected immediately after birth for determination of fetal EPO levels and NRBC counts. RESULTS: Forty pregnancies formed the study population. The mean gestational age at deli
