Al-Hikmah University Journal

Pregnancy is a period in which the woman's physiology undergoes rapid changes as the baby develops into maturity and grows in size. Among the changes experienced is the haemodynamics in the pregnant mother since blood circulates and influences the development of the foetus. In this study, we investigated the blood haematological parameters of pregnant women in different stages of pregnancy progression from the first to the third trimester. Study participants included one hundred pregnant subjects that fulfilled both the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the study while forty non-pregnant women were enlisted as control. Blood sample (5 mL) was withdrawn from each participant with minimal stasis and dispensed into tubes containing Ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) as the anticoagulant. Blood samples were then analyzed with a Coulter Analyzer. The data were presented as Mean ± SD, and statistical analysis was carried out using the student’s paired t-test and ANOVA as appropriate. The result showed a significant (p≤0.05) decrease in the mean values recorded for the packed cell volume (PCV) as it decreased from 34.60±2.61 % in the first trimester to 30.83±3.27 % at the third trimester. A similar significant reduction in values were recorded for haemoglobin, MCV and MCH. There was a significant increment in the values recorded for mean MCHC across the trimesters. Our study has confirmed that pregnancy influences the decrease of many of the maternal red blood cell parameters negatively as the foetus advances in age. As a result, we suggest continuous supplementation of pregnant women with haematinics, especially as the pregnancy approaches term.