NCT00917007

Measurement of Carboxyhemoglobin by Gas Chromatography as an Index of Hemolysis

Measurement of Carboxyhemoglobin by Gas Chromatography as an Index of Hemolysis in ABO-compatible and Incompatible Healthy Term Newborn Infants.

• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 0 (actual)
• Sponsor: State University of New York - Upstate Medical University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 28 Days
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this research study is to more accurately measure the amount of true red blood cell breakdown (hemolysis) in newborn babies with potentially problematic blood type mismatch with their mothers (ABO incompatibility), and to examine how the true level of red blood cell destruction relates to other laboratory tests obtained in newborns with jaundice. A better understanding of the true amount of red blood cell destruction that is caused by blood type mismatch, as well as how it relates with other laboratory tests ordered for ABO incompatibility and red blood cell destruction, would help avoid unnecessary testing, treatment and prolonged hospital stays in such babies.

Detailed description

Clinically severe jaundice due to ABO incompatibility can occur when infants with blood type A or B are born to mothers with type O blood. An estimated 20 percent of pregnancies are ABO incompatible, but only a very small proportion of blood type A or B babies born to O type mothers develop overt ABO hemolytic disease. Despite the relative rarity of ABO hemolytic disease, it is common practice among pediatricians and family practice physicians to perform routine blood typing and antibody screening on all newborns born to type O mothers. A very accurate and reliable laboratory measure of red blood cell destruction is the plasma carboxyhemoglobin level (COHb). COHb levels can be determined using a minute amount of blood, obtained at the same time the newborn's heel is pierced to obtain blood for the mandatory newborn screen (performed on all newborns prior to discharge) in order to avoid an additional invasive procedure. Our hope is to determine whether routine blood typing and anti-globulin testing of infants born to type O mothers is necessary, or if these tests should instead be obtained only in the context of significant visible jaundice. This would help clarify the proper management of a very common problem in the newborn, and minimize the potential for subjecting infants of type O mothers to unnecessary blood tests, unwarranted treatment, and prolonged hospitalizations.

Conditions

• ABO Incompatibility
• Hemolytic Disease of Newborn
• Neonatal Jaundice
• Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-06-01
• Primary completion: 2010-11-01
• Completion: 2010-11-01
• First posted: 2009-06-10
• Last updated: 2021-10-25

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States