Although the etiology is not clear, neonatal neutropenia is frequently seen in infants of preeclamptic mothers in the first week of life. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a chronic pulmonary morbidity that is associated with fetal and neonatal inflammation and neutrophil activation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation between absolute neutrophil count and subsequent development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in infants of preeclamptic mothers. Between January 2003 and December 2007, 84 infants of preeclamptic mothers and 91 controls who were born and admitted to Hacettepe University İhsan Doğramacı Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were included in the study. Complete blood count including white blood cell and differential count and peripheral blood smears were noted from hospital records in all infants. Mean gestational age was 30.2 ± 1.7 weeks in the preeclamptic group and 30.7 ± 1.8 in the control group, while the mean birth weights were 1035 ± 177 g and 1042 ± 149 g, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to white blood cell, absolute neutrophil and platelet counts (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count and the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (white blood cell count odds ratio [OR]: 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-8.8; absolute neutrophil count OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2-6.3). Neonatal neutropenia, which is frequently seen in infants of preeclamptic mothers, may prevent the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Increased white blood cell count may reflect a risk factor for the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia but this should be tested in prospective studies.

Keywords: preeklampsi, beyaz küre sayısı, enflamasyon, kronik akciğer hastalığı, prematürite.