Resumen

PENALOZA, Rosario, AMARU, Ricardo, MIGUEZ, Hortensia et al. Influencia de la altura en la eritropoyesis del recien nacido . Cuad. - Hosp. Clín., 2007, vol.52, no.1, p.17-19. ISSN 1652-6776.

OBJETIVE: To assess the influence of high altitude hypoxia on the erythropoiesis of newborns, through analysis of the hematological values. Population Three hundred venous umbilical cord blood samples of live newborns of normal maturity and 300 venous peripheral blood samples of pregnant women of the “Hospital de la Mujer” from La Paz ( 3600m above sea level). METHODS: The measurements were made with an automatic coulter Micros 60 and with manual techniques. RESULTS: The hematological values of the healthy pregnant women compared with pregnant women who live at sea level are statistically different; however, the hematological values of newborns at high altitude compared with the values of newborns at sea level, are statistically similar. CONCLUSION: The eritropoiesis of the newborns at high altitude is independent of the maternal factors and of the high altitude hypoxia at 3600m above sea level, probably due to the protective function of the placenta.

Palabras llave: Newborns; high altitude; umbilical cord blood; haematological values.