Complete blood counts from umbilical cords of healthy term newborns by two automated cytometers.

Complete blood counts (CBC) of umbilical cord blood from 123 healthy term newborns were simultaneously performed with two different cytometers using laser as a light source. Medians (95% range) were: WBC 14.2 (7.8-24.3) x 10(9)/l, platelets 265 (174-363) x 10(9)/l, Hb 15.7 (12.5-18.2) g/dl, RBC 4.6 (3.9-5.5) x 10(12)/l, MCV 106 (95-113) fl, PCV 0.49 (0.40-0.56), and MCH 33.8 (30.3-36.4) pg. Reticulocytes were 149 (95-212) x 10(9)/l or 3.3 (2.0-4.7)%; erythroblasts 5 (0-24) per 100 WBC or 0.53 (0.00-3.20) x 10(9)/l. The counters agreed well except for MCHC. WBC counts showed the smallest difference irrespective of erythroblast number; platelets showed the largest difference. The lower limit for normal Hb should be fixed at 12.5 g/dl for the adequate diagnosis of anaemia from cord blood of term newborns.