Characteristics and functional properties of red cells during the first days of life

In order to evaluate postnatal red blood cell (RBC) properties and whole-blood rheology, 36 healthy full-term newborn infants were tested twice (cord blood, 4th-day blood) for whole-blood flow rate, hematocrit, hemoglobin (Hb), RBC count, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular Hb and its concentration, white blood cell and platelet count, plasma fibrinogen, erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase, catalase and superoxide dismutase. Another 38 healthy full-term newborns were tested twice for separation of erythrocytes into fractions of different density. Healthy adults were taken as control. The results showed a decreased whole-blood flow rate in blood drawn on the 4th day with respect to cord blood. A multivariate analysis with flow rate as dependent variable demonstrated a significant positive correlation with GSH-Px on the 4th day. The assays of RBC densities showed a significant increase in the first 4 days.