Comparison of the percentage of umbilical cord nucleated red blood cells in preterm neonates during vaginal delivery and emergency cesarean section

Background: There are insufficient and contradictory reports regarding the effect of delivery method on the rate of umbilical cord Nucleated Red Blood Cell (NRBC). Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the percentages of umbilical cord NRBC in vaginal delivery and emergency cesarean section (C-section) in preterm neonates. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was performed on mothers with vaginal delivery and C-section, from 2020 to 2021. The samples (n = 221) were preterm neonates selected using the convenience sampling method. The percentages of NRBC in neonates born by natural childbirth and by emergency C-section were measured and compared in this research. A researcher-made checklist, which included maternal and neonatal characteristics and laboratory evaluation, was used as a data collection tool. Results: The statistical population of thisresearch included 93 (42.10%) and 128 (57.90%) neonates born by vaginal delivery and by C-section, respectively.The mean (SD) score of gestational ages at birth was 30.75 (2.81) weeks. The mean (SD) score of umbilical cord NRBC level were estimated at 8.01 (5.93) and 25.64 (22.61) for the neonates born by natural childbirth and by emergency C-section, respectively (t=-8.43, df = 150, p