الفهرس 
AcknowledgementOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Weight is the most commonly recorded measure of birth size and has the greatest attention, although it is one of many measures of fetal growth. From an epidemiological point of view, birtweight and, more specifically, birthweight for gestational age, are important indices for childrens I heal th and development. It is generally accepted that very low maternal haemoglobin (Hb) levels are associated with an unfavourable pregnancy outcome including low birthweight. Data from research in the basic physiology of pregnancy strongly indicate an inverse correlation between birthweight of the baby and Hb level of the mother. More recently increasing attention has been fa cus sed on the potential adverse effects of high Hb levels or insufficient plasma volume expansion and haemodilution during pregnancy, which have been associated with ’intra , 18 to determine the relation between maternal haemoglobin concentration and the blood incidices and the infant birthweight. To accomplish such an aim, a cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of pregnant women and their newly borns in El-Shatby University Hospital. The population studied was a group of pregnant women, selected purposively from the target population, and were in the first stage of labour admitted for delivery at El-Shatby University Hospital during the period from first March to the end of August 1990. The sample size reached 150 cases. The techniques used were: interviewing questionnaire, anthropometric measurements of the newly born infant, and maternal blood analysis. Interviewinq auestionnaire covered the following items: ( 1) Socioeconomic data including data about mother’s education and occupation, father’s education, income, family size, crowding index, information tools inside the house and sanitation. (2 ) Biological data: - including mother’s age, consangu.iIlit.y, duration of menestrual bleeding and use of intrauterine device contraception. (3 ) Obstetrical parity, history including gravidity, number of still births, number of abortions, interpregnancy interval, history of any previous low or heavy birthweight. (4 ) Medical history: it included problems with the present pregnancy such as infections, bleeding or exposure to X-rays., it also included diseases commonly associated with anaemia, or history of blood loss. some cases were excluded from the work as: (a) (b) Primigravidae. Mothers having Diabetes melli tus, heart diseases, hypertension, Nephritis. (c) Babies with congenital anomalies, premature babies and twins. (5 ) Ante-natal no. car e: it included of ante natal visits, time of the initial visit and care provided at these visits. All these data were scored in a total Ante natal care score.. Anthropometric measurement of the infant including measurement at welgilt, Lengtn ana mlaarm Clrcumterence using the methods and techniques described by Jelliffe. Blood analysis: it included; Estimation of haemoglobin concentration. (1 ) (2) Estimation of hematocrit value. (3 ) Counting the red blood cells, These investigations were done in the department of Biochemical laboratory of occupational health department of the H.I.P.H, University of Alexandria. Red blood indices were calculated by the researcher. They included: mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and color index. Analysis of data collected was done by the staff of the Biostatistics department of the H.I.P.H, University of Alexandria. The arithmatic mean, standard deviation, t-test and the correlation coefficient were used. The results of the study could be summarized as follows: .,nr1pr~rp and high socioeconomic standard. 2. Most of cases (94.67 ) had parity less than five. 3. The mean of maternal Hb concentration was 12.3 gm/dl. 4. The mean infant birthweight was 3653.3 gm. 5. A negative correlation was found between maternal haemoglobin concentration and infant’s birthweight. The correlation was statistically insignificant. 6. Negative correlations found each of between were maternal hematocrit and red cell corpuscles count and infants’ correlations were birth weight. These statistically insignificant. 7. Also negative correlations were found between each of maternal blood indices (M.C.V., MCH, MCHC and C.T and infants’ birthweight. These correlations were statistically insignificant. 8. The mean infants’ birthweight increased slightly with increasing maternal age, low parity and increasing interpregnancy interval. The correlations between mean infants’ birth weight and these variables were statistically insignific~nt. 9. A positive correlation was found between infants’ birthweight and was his length. This correlation 122 10. A positive correlation was also found between infant’s birthweight and his midarm circumference. This correlatean was statistically significant. The following is the main recommendation suggested by the study: It is recommended from the present study that, Further research is required, using techniques other than Sahli, to investiga te the relationship between maternal hemoglobin level and infant’s birthweight and to verify the efffect of environmen tal factors on the level and function of hemoglobin.^leng