Correlation of Maternal Albumin Levels with Neonatal Birth Weight

Abstract

Objective: To correlate maternal albumin levels with neonatal weight. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Obstetrics and Gynecology unit and Laboratory of Railway hospital, Rawalpindi from June 2015 to March 2016. Materials and Methods: Eighty-five mother -baby pairs were selected using systematic random sampling method, they were divided into two groups. Group I included mothers with serum albumin level in the acceptable range (3.5-5.0) gm/dl and Group II included mothers with serum albumin level less than 3.5gm/dl. Maternal venous blood was collected before delivery, serum was separated by centrifuge method. Information regarding the monthly income and dietary protein was recorded from patients. Quantitative in vitro determination of serum albumin was done by calorimetric biuret on photometric system. (Micro Lab).Birth weight of neonates was assessed using the laica weighing scale. Comparison of baby weight in group I and group II was done by Mann Whitney U test. p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Correlation of maternal albumin with baby weight was done by Spearman correlation. Results: In Group I the median of 3.00 kg baby weight and in Group II the median of 2.30 kg baby weight. Spearman correlatin showed a significant correlation coefficient between maternal albumin and baby weight with p value less than 0.05. Conclusion: The weight of the babies born to Mothers with serum albumin level < 3.5gm/dl was low as compared to the weight of the babies born to mothers with serum albumin level of (3.5-5.0 gm/dl).

Keywords

• animal protein, maternal albumin, mother baby pair, neonatal weight.