Red cell distribution width (RDW) changes in pregnancy.

H A Shehata; M M Ali; J C Evans-Jones; G J Upton; I T Manyonda

doi:10.1016/s0020-7292(98)00069-1

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Red cell distribution width (RDW) changes in pregnancy.

H A Shehata·M M Ali·J C Evans-Jones·G J Upton·I T Manyonda

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: As part of an exercise in establishing normograms of hematological parameters in pregnancy, we studied the red cell distribution width (RDW) in healthy pregnant women. METHODS: A longitudinal study of RDW measurements in 121 pregnant women at 16 and 34 weeks gestation and during labor and at Days 3 and 7 postpartum. All the women had uncomplicated pregnancies, minimum hemoglobin (Hb) of 11.0 g/dl at recruitment and took iron supplements from 16 weeks of gestation and until 7 days after delivery. All subjects went into spontaneous labor, 110 achieving a normal vaginal delivery while the remaining 11 were delivered by cesarean section. Two-way analysis of variance was used to study the changes in RDW between any given gestations to test the variability between and within subjects. RESULTS: RDW increased significantly (P < 0.0001) between 34 weeks of gestation and the onset of labor. No significant changes occurred between 16 and 34 weeks gestation, or during the 7 days postpartum. CONCLUSION: This is the first longitudinal study analyzing the between and within women changes in RDW with progression of pregnancy. The unexpected rise in the RDW during the last 4-6 weeks leading up to the onset of labor suggests increased bone marrow activity. The stimulus is unknown, but as RDW changes are highly significant there may well be a useful indicator of impending parturition.

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Adolescent Adult Erythrocyte Indices Erythrocytes Female Humans Longitudinal Studies Pregnancy Pregnancy Trimester, Second Pregnancy Trimester, Third Journal Article

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H A Shehata, M M Ali, J C Evans-Jones, G J Upton, I T Manyonda. 1998. Red cell distribution width (RDW) changes in pregnancy.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0020-7292(98)00069-1

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