PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - David G Sweet
AU  - Geraldine A Savage
AU  - Richard Tubman
AU  - Terence R J Lappin
AU  - Henry L Halliday
TI  - Cord blood transferrin receptors to assess fetal iron status
AID  - 10.1136/fn.85.1.F46
DP  - 2001 Jul 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
PG  - F46--F48
VI  - 85
IP  - 1
4099  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/85/1/F46.short
4100  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/85/1/F46.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed2001 Jul 01; 85
AB  - OBJECTIVE To study iron status at different gestational ages using cord blood serum transferrin receptors (STfRs).METHODS STfRs, iron, ferritin, total iron binding capacity, haemoglobin, and reticulocytes were measured in 144 cord blood samples. The babies were divided into three groups according to gestation (26 very preterm (24–29 weeks); 50 preterm (30–36 weeks); 68 term (37–41 weeks)).RESULTS Serum iron, ferritin, and total iron binding capacity were highest at term, whereas reticulocytes were highest in the very preterm. STfR levels were not influenced by gestation. Haemoglobin (r = 0.46; p < 0.0001) and reticulocytes (r = 0.42; p < 0.0001) were the only indices that independently correlated with STfR levels.CONCLUSIONS STfR levels in cord blood are not directly influenced by gestation and probably reflect the iron requirements of the fetus for erythropoiesis.