Health development and indigenous peoples: a New Zealand study.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Kriechbaum.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The relationship between haemoglobin values (14th to 30th week of gestation), pregnancy outcome and perinatal morbidity was investigated in a prospective study. Subsequently, haemoglobin values, blood pressure, proteinuria and perinatal risk factors, together with the foetal cardiotocogram were abstracted from the obstetrician's records. Preterm birth (25%), intrauterine growth retardation (7.6%) gestational hypertension (31.5%) and low birth weight babies (10.3%) were seen significantly more often in women with haemoglobin > or = 13 g/dl in the 2nd trimester (14-30 wk). We observed a high perinatal morbidity from RDS (9.3%) and newborn hyperviscosity (23.9%) in women with a high haemoglobin level. These results were in agreement with the hypothesis, that a higher blood viscosity or a lack of haemodilution are risk factors for poor placental perfusion.
In a pilot study, 25 patients with histories of repeated abortion were treated by passive immunotherapy with high-dosage immunoglobulin administration (Sandoglobulin). Plasma viscosity, RBC aggregation, hematocrit, PAI, D-dimer and Factor VIIIR:AG were studied in order to detect risks. By September 1, 1992, 16 women had given birth; abortion had recurred in 2 women and 7 were pregnant between the 10th and 37th GW. Five pregnancies terminated in premature/small-for-date births and one neonate had a congenital malformation syndrome. Under immunoglobulin therapy no hyperviscosity or excessive fibronolysis defects with a tendency to thrombosis or restriction of intervillous perfusion were observed. Besides safety for mother and fetus, intravenous immunoglobulin administration has the added advantage that it can be used in cases of primary and secondary abortion and for women with deficient immune response.