Background:

Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) has been related to impaired fetal growth, possibly by affecting hematopoiesis. This study aimed to analyze the most frequent hematological alterations in preterm infants born to mothers with PIH.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional study in newborns born to mothers with PIH. We reviewed 130 hemograms of preterm infants: 45 from mothers with PIH, 71 with preeclampsia, and 14 with HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count). Normality, cytosis conditions, or cytopenia values were adjusted for gestational ages. Differences between groups were analyzed with classical and Bayesian statistics (BF01 = null/alternative hypothesis ratio).

Results:

Anemia was found in only 1.2% of newborns. In the white blood cell count, the most frequent finding was lymphopenia (56.2%) and monocytosis (38.5%) (p = 0.6, FB01 = 249 y p = 0.81, FB01 = 19.9). Thrombocytopenia was found in 12.5% (p = 0.56, FB01 = 67). No significant differences were observed among PIH groups.

Conclusions:

Hematological alterations of newborns born to mothers with PIH are frequent and do not show a distinct pattern related to the severity of the affection in the mother. We recommend a full hematological evaluation in these preterm neonates.