General clinical blood test of a pregnant woman. Norms of blood tests in pregnant women

Pregnancy is a time of sweet expectations and endless worries. A pregnant woman needs careful monitoring by doctors. For 40 weeks of bearing a baby future mom There is a lot of research going on.

One of the most informative is a blood test during pregnancy. It helps track the health status of not only the mother, but also the unborn baby. Any changes in the body immediately affect the state of the blood, which is why it is so important not to neglect the doctor’s prescriptions and take all tests on time. Throughout pregnancy, a woman will have to donate blood about 4 times, and in some cases even more.

General list of blood tests by trimester

General blood analysis

One of the most significant and informative blood tests during pregnancy is a general analysis. It gives a clear clinical picture of the course of pregnancy and allows you to determine the root cause of certain deviations.

Normal indicators this study are given in the table.

Each of these indicators is very important for the doctor. Any deviation from the norm can be a cause for serious concern.

Let's consider what role each of these indicators plays in the blood during pregnancy.

Rules for taking the analysis

• Blood should be donated from a finger prick, strictly on an empty stomach, early in the morning.
• The day before submitting the biomaterial, eliminate fatty and smoked foods from your diet.
• Do not take it on the day of the test. hot bath. This procedure is not very useful for pregnant women in principle.
• Avoid physical and mental stress. This may negatively affect the results of the study.

Biochemical research

Add to list necessary tests blood tests prescribed during pregnancy include a biochemical analysis of blood components. Its function is to evaluate the work of everyone internal organs. Based on the results of this examination, the doctor will be able to develop an individual system for preventing most diseases, thereby minimizing the risk of pregnancy complications.

The main indicators studied in biochemistry are:

Rules for taking the analysis

• Only venous blood is required.
• You should maintain a 12-hour fasting break.
• If you feel unwell, you are allowed to eat a light piece of fruit or a small cracker. In this case, at least 5-6 hours should pass after the last meal.
• On the eve of submitting the biomaterial, exclude fatty, salty and sweet foods.
• In the morning, even abstain from water. An exception can be made for women with toxicosis and severe dizziness.

This blood test is mandatory for pregnant women as it helps identify problems at an early stage.

Coagulogram

This examination was created to study blood clotting in detail. During the period of bearing a baby, this is more important than ever. If this ability of the blood is impaired, it is very important to detect the problem in time and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Normally, coagulability should increase in pregnant women. This is how the body protects itself from possible bleeding at the moment labor activity, and also increases the volume of blood to nourish the placenta.

Important! Only a specialist should decipher a blood test for a coagulogram in pregnant women.

However, in order to be calm while waiting for a doctor’s appointment, the expectant mother must understand at least a little what these numerous numbers in the results mean.

The analysis requires careful preparation to obtain more reliable results.

• Blood is donated strictly on an empty stomach.
• Before donating biomaterial, it is necessary to stop all medications, after consulting with your doctor. If this is impossible for any reason, you must inform the laboratory assistant which drug is on this moment you accept.

Study of biomaterial for blood type and Rh factor

The clinical analysis is submitted once when registering a pregnant woman. It is necessary to know your blood type and Rh factor. This is necessary so that, if necessary, the blood of the desired type is transfused.

As a rule, problems do not arise if both parents are “positive” and “negative”.

When the mother is Rh negative and the child inherits Rh positive father, problems begin. The body may begin to produce antibodies against the fetus, mistaking it for a foreign body.

If the expectant mother's test results in a negative Rh factor, she will have to take such a test monthly to determine the presence or absence of antibodies. This is important to prevent possible conflict between a woman and an unborn child.

Among other things, this analysis will help prevent the occurrence of hemolytic disease in a newborn. This is a severe condition of an infant, provoked by the massive breakdown of red blood cells as a result of intrauterine incompatibility of the blood of mother and child.

To avoid a Rh conflict situation, after the birth of the baby, the woman should be given anti-Rhesus immunoglobulin within 72 hours.

Even during pregnancy at a period of 28-30 weeks, a woman with negative Rh factor The antenatal clinic offers the same procedure.

Blood test for HIV infection and Wasserman reaction (antibodies to syphilis)

All these infectious diseases incredibly dangerous for the unborn baby and cause irreparable harm to his health. It is very important to undergo these examinations on time.

HIV infection affects the body's immune cells, and they lose their ability to fight pathogens and viruses. It is easily transmitted to the baby during the passage of the birth canal. Women who are carriers of immune diseases cannot breastfeed their baby, as there is a dangerous risk of infection.

Syphilis is a disease transmitted sexually and from mother to child during natural childbirth. In patients with syphilis, the risk of premature birth, stillbirth, or the birth of children with serious pathologies increases significantly. To detect antibodies to syphilis modern medicine uses a simple and accessible screening test for the Wasserman reaction.

Blood test for TORCH complex

The World Health Organization has grouped together a number of serious infections that can cause great harm fetus The TORCH complex includes:

• cytomegalovirus;
• rubella;
• chlamydia;
• herpes
• hepatitis B and C.

The danger of these infections is that they often do not manifest themselves. Therefore, it is very important to undergo this examination in the early stages of pregnancy.

Diagnosis consists of determining whether a woman’s body produces antibodies to certain types of infection.

As an example, we give you a table of results with reference values.

There are many ways to confirm pregnancy - from traditional methods to tests sold in every pharmacy. However, their reliability in the early stages is questionable; a blood test for hCG level – human chorionic gonadotropin human, which is called the pregnancy hormone.

Blood changes during pregnancy

Human chorionic gonadotropin

The hCG hormone is produced by special cells of the chorion - the membrane of the embryo attached to the wall of the uterus. It consists of 2 units:

• alpha hCG– has a similar structure to the components of other hormones, for example, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH);
• beta-hCG- a unique unit, has crucial in diagnostics.

Indicators of the level of this hormone in the blood are important throughout the entire period of gestation - they are used to diagnose ectopic pregnancy and tumors, determine multiple births, recognize fetal malformations.

General blood test indicators

At later stages of pregnancy, other changes in blood components are observed:

• Red blood cells– red blood cells, their number increases by 20-30% during pregnancy. Indicators above 3.5 billion per liter of blood (3.5 * 10 9 / l) are considered normal.
• Hematocrit– the volume of red blood cells in the liquid part of the blood, an indicator of an increase in plasma levels. On average, the amount of plasma increases by 50%, and red blood cells - only by a quarter, so the hematocrit decreases from 0.34-0.36 to 0.30-0.32 (30-32%).
• Hemoglobin- a protein found in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen to tissues. Pregnant women develop hemodilution, when the blood is diluted with plasma, because of this, the concentration of hemoglobin also decreases and amounts to 110-120 grams per 1 liter of blood.
• Leukocytes– white blood cells that protect the body from pathogenic agents. An increase in their level is considered a type of normal and is often associated with stressful (pregnancy) hematopoiesis. The norm of leukocytes is up to 15 billion per 1 liter of blood (15 * 10 9 / l).
• Platelets– blood components responsible for the rapid healing of damaged tissues. Their level during pregnancy may decrease slightly and amount to 100-400 billion in 1 liter of blood (100-400 * 10 9 / l).
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)– indicator of the division of blood in the capillary into plasma and erythrocytes. Since there is a change in the qualitative composition of blood proteins, this figure increases to 30-40 millimeters per hour.

When will it show

Human chorionic gonadotropin is measured in milliunits per 1 milliliter of blood (mU/ml). Some laboratories measure this hormone in milliinternational units per milliliter (mIU/mL) or nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).

The ratio of these indicators is as follows:

• 1 mIU/ml is equal to 1 mIU/ml;
• 1 mU/ml is equal to 21.28 ng/ml.

A blood test allows you to determine pregnancy in the early stages - already on days 6-8 after fertilization, the hCG test will be positive. In non-pregnant women, the level of this hormone does not exceed 5 milliunits in 1 milliliter of blood; in the first or second week of pregnancy this figure is 20-300 milliunits, in the second or third it can increase to 4800 milliunits.

The work of test strips for determining pregnancy is also based on studying the amount of hCG in morning urine. However, the concentration of this hormone in urine increases much more slowly, so reliable result The test is possible only at a later date - 2-3 weeks after conception.

Pregnancy test

Following some rules will help you get a reliable result:

• For the study, you need to donate blood from a vein.
• Blood is drawn in the morning, on an empty stomach, no less than 8 hours after the last meal.
• On the eve of testing, you should refrain from active physical exercise, eliminate psycho-emotional stress.
• If the analysis is carried out before a missed period, it is advisable to take blood 2 times with an interval of 2-3 days.
• The results may be affected by medications taken, in particular - hormonal drugs. You should definitely notify your doctor about them.
• It takes 1-2 days to process the analysis.

Throughout pregnancy, a woman will need to take blood tests several times to monitor physiological state pregnant woman and fetus. If any deviations are recorded during this period, this may pose a threat to the life and health of both the child and the mother. In this article we will look at deciphering blood tests during pregnancy. This information will be extremely useful for all women, from the 1st to 3rd trimesters of pregnancy.

Increased circulating blood volume

During pregnancy, a woman's circulating blood volume, or BCC for short, can significantly increase. As a rule, a pregnant woman's blood volume increases significantly in the first months of pregnancy. The BCC indicator will increase until the 36th week of pregnancy. So why does blood volume increase to its maximum volume? Because the woman’s body prepares in advance for the fact that during childbirth it will lose a large amount of blood.

Now let's look at the main blood indicators that you need to pay attention to during pregnancy.

Blood hemoglobin level

Absolutely all gynecologists consider hemoglobin to be the most important and significant indicator throughout pregnancy.

The normal level of hemoglobin in the blood during pregnancy ranges from 110 to 140 g/l.

If the indicator - hemoglobin in the blood - is significantly reduced, then this is 90% clinical cases indicates the progression and development of anemia in the body. Why is anemia during pregnancy so dangerous? The progression of anemia can lead to a lack of oxygen needed for physiological development fetus What are the consequences of anemia during pregnancy?

If anemia develops during pregnancy, there is a risk that fetal development will be delayed, both mental and physical. After the birth of a child, a disruption in its adaptation to the environment may occur.

Blood indicator hematocrit

Hematocrit is a blood indicator that takes into account the ratio of the total volume of blood in the body to the volume of blood cells contained in this volume.

The normal hematocrit in the blood is approximately 35%, the maximum value is 45%.

The hematocrit indicator indicates the presence of anemia in the body of a pregnant woman, as well as the degree of progression of this pathological phenomenon.

Video: Biochemical blood test during pregnancy: norms and indicators

Red blood cell count

Red blood cells are the third most important blood indicator, which must be taken into account in pregnant women.

The norm of red blood cells in the blood of pregnant women is from 3.5 to 5.0. This indicator in a pregnant woman will always be slightly lower than in a non-pregnant woman.

Red blood cells are those components of the blood that are responsible for transporting oxygen through the blood to all vital systems and internal organs.

A pathological decrease in the indicator - red blood cells - characterizes conditions such as anemia, heavy bleeding(threat of miscarriage), as well as treatment with diuretics, both before and during pregnancy.

Leukocytes in the blood

The level of leukocytes in the blood of both a pregnant woman and a non-pregnant woman determines the presence of an inflammatory process or a developing pathology in the body. But, this only applies to the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy. In the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, a woman may have elevated leukocytes in her blood, which is the acceptable normal limit.

Lymphocytes in the blood

Lymphocytes in the blood perform one of the most important functions– protective. It is by the level of lymphocytes in the blood that one judges decreased/increased immunity.

Norms of other blood components

The norm of basophils in the blood of a pregnant woman is 0.2%.

Monocytes – their number should be no more than 4.5%.

Red platelets of blood called platelets should normally range from approximately 180 to 320 10 to 9 per liter. If the level of platelets decreases significantly, the pregnant woman is at risk of miscarriage due to the onset of severe bleeding. The level of platelets in the blood must be monitored throughout pregnancy.

Biochemical blood test in pregnant women

In addition to a general blood test, all pregnant women also undergo a biochemical analysis. What does this analysis include?

A biochemical blood test examines:

• Protein;
• Carbohydrate;
• Lipid;
• Water-electrolyte metabolism in the body;
• Study of the quantitative composition of vitamins and beneficial microelements.

Blood glucose level

Glucose is an indicator of a biochemical blood test and the main element that characterizes the level energy metabolism in organism.

The normal blood glucose level for a pregnant woman is from 3.3 to 4.4 mol/l.

If this indicator is exceeded, then we're talking about about the phenomenon of hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia indicates the progression of diabetes mellitus in a pregnant woman.

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that occurs quite often in pregnant women. This is due to the fact that under the influence of a large number of hormones that are released during pregnancy - progesterone, prolactin, and estrogen in a woman’s body there is a decrease in sensitivity to the pancreatic hormone - insulin. As a result, a pregnant woman may hear a diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance.

Protein fractions in the blood

In a pregnant woman, albumin and globulin are necessarily determined from the protein fraction of the blood.

The level of albumin in the blood varies from 25 to 50 g/l.

It is imperative to take into account that the total blood volume of a pregnant woman increases several times, therefore the resulting concentration of albumin (protein fraction) can decrease from 10% to 60%.

Video: What does my blood test mean?

The normal level of urea in the blood of a pregnant woman is from 2.5 to 8.3 mmol/l.

The creatinine norm is from 45 to 115 µmol/l.

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During pregnancy, changes occur in all organs of a woman. Both the structure and functioning and biochemical connections between organs are rebuilt according to the needs of the developing fetus.

All changes are an adaptive reaction aimed at preventing damage to the mother’s body. The leading role in the cascade of these metamorphoses is played by placenta And fetus.

You can increase hemoglobin by taking iron supplements.

Leukocytes - WBC

Norm

• up to 15*10 9 /l.

Norm

• ESR during pregnancy - 0-40 mm/hour

Pathological changes in blood tests during pregnancy

Since the rate of changes in blood tests during pregnancy has already been described above, the main pathological changes will be briefly summarized here:

1. the absence of a decrease in hematocrit with the development of pregnancy should alert you to the possibility of developing preeclampsia, premature birth, or miscarriage
2. decrease in hemoglobin level below 100 g/l is an indicator iron deficiency anemia which needs to be treated immediately
3. a high hemoglobin level above 140 g/l indicates folate deficiency anemia and requires further examination
4. if MCV (red blood cell size) is within the normal range during automatic counting, but the laboratory writes “anisocytosis”, two anemias are likely - iron deficiency and folate deficiency (small red blood cells appear with iron deficiency, and large ones with iron deficiency, the average number will be within normal limits).
5. low MCV – iron deficiency anemia of pregnant women, high – folate deficiency anemia.
6. MCH is reduced – iron deficiency anemia, increased – folate deficiency.
7. leukocytes above the physiological norm 10 * 10 9 / l - always determine the cause - pregnancy or bacterial infection (for example, pyelonephritis)
8. leukocytes below 4*10 9 /l – probable viral infection (acute respiratory viral infection, influenza).
9. platelets less than 100*10 9 /l – suspicion of HELLP syndrome, late gestosis, hepatic steatosis.
10. thrombocytosis – more than 400*10 9 /l – risk of thrombosis of all vessels, especially the lower extremities, complications of childbirth.

Bottom line

A general blood test during pregnancy may remain normal and deviate in both physiological and pathological directions. An obstetrician-gynecologist cannot always determine the cause of these changes. Therefore, if a pregnant woman had any blood diseases before pregnancy, then a consultation with a hematologist is necessary at the stage of planning conception.

As the fetus develops, demands on the mother’s body increase – and here again an additional opinion may be needed hematologist. Is it worth carrying out certain examinations, how correct is the assessment of this or that analysis, what to do if there are contraindications? Experts know the answers to all these questions. You just have to apply. Only a doctor will be able to compare test results with complaints and symptoms.

Small doses of folic acid are critical for the fetus in the earliest stages of gestation, when even a pregnancy test is negative. A sufficient amount of iron in red blood cells will allow a woman to get rid of the symptoms of iron deficiency and provide for the fetus sufficient quantity oxygen.

Minimal actions often produce maximum results.

Get tested regularly during pregnancy, visit antenatal clinic, go to related specialists, follow doctors’ recommendations and be healthy.

Remember that your health is in your hands.

General blood test during pregnancy - norm and interpretation was last modified: November 16th, 2017 by Maria Bodyan

In this article, we will look at why expectant mothers often take blood tests and determine which indicators indicate the normal course of pregnancy and which signals danger.

Why do you need a blood test?

Blood is a liquid substance in our body that plays exclusively important role. It carries genetic information, and also delivers oxygen to all organs and tissues and removes carbon dioxide. Blood reacts very sensitively to the slightest changes in the body. Therefore, a blood test is an extremely informative study that allows you to identify pathological processes at the most early stages their development.

Particularly important early diagnosis diseases during pregnancy, when it is necessary to monitor the health status of not only the expectant mother, but also the baby. Therefore, a pregnant woman is sent for a blood test more than once and several types of research are carried out:

• general (clinical) blood test;
• biochemical analysis;
• tests for HIV, hepatitis, syphilis (RW);
• analysis for Rh factor and antibodies;
• blood test for coagulation (coagulogram);
• analysis for TORCH infections.

General blood test during pregnancy is normal according to basic indicators

• Red blood cells

These are red blood cells, the main component of which is hemoglobin. Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to all organs and tissues, as well as removing carbon dioxide, i.e. for the body's breathing process.

Normally, the blood of the expectant mother should contain (3.5-5.6) * 10 12 cells/l. This indicator increases with dehydration (due to indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, increased sweating etc.). Erythrocytosis can also be caused by stress, smoking, and obesity.

• Reticulocytes

These are “young” red blood cells. Normally their content is 0.2 -1.5%. In pregnant women acceptable indicator- from 0.12 to 2.05%.

In expectant mothers, the number of reticulocytes in the blood increases slightly, and this is normal, because there is now more blood circulating in the body. Also, an excess of the normal reticulocyte count is not a pathology, provided that the pregnant woman is undergoing treatment for anemia. With effective therapy (diet, medications, adjustment life schedule) the body begins to actively produce new red blood cells, but reticulocytes are immature red blood cells.

It is also quite understandable that the reticulocyte count increases in women who have recently experienced bleeding, for example, due to the threat of miscarriage. The body replenishes its reserves of red blood cells by producing new red blood cells.

The number of reticulocytes decreases in diseases of the blood and kidneys. Also considered a pathology is the situation when a pregnant woman has a sharp increase in the number of young red blood cells without obvious reasons. This may indicate the development of hemolytic anemia or malaria.

• Hemoglobin

It is the main component of red blood cells. It has the ability to bind to oxygen in the lungs and deliver it to tissues. Here hemoglobin leaves oxygen and binds with carbon dioxide, sending it to the lungs. This is how the body's breathing process occurs.

The expectant mother's normal hemoglobin level should be at least 110 g/l. Fluctuations in hemoglobin levels during pregnancy are common, because, as mentioned above, the volume of circulating blood grows quite quickly, and the body does not always have time to adapt to this pace by producing red blood cells.

The guideline for expectant mothers in the 1st trimester is -112-160 g/l, in the 2nd -108-144, in the 3rd -100-140 g/l.

A strong decrease in hemoglobin content is fraught with the development of severe forms of iron deficiency anemia. And this is - oxygen starvation fetus, large blood loss during childbirth, risk of developmental delays in the baby.

To minimize your chance of developing iron deficiency anemia, consider the following recommendations:

• Take special vitamins.
• Add more iron-rich foods to your diet (beef, white poultry, buckwheat, fish, cranberries, pomegranate, green apples, pistachios, almonds, etc.).
• Vitamin C helps absorb iron, so, for example, a good menu for lunch is buckwheat with boiled beef + tomato juice+ apple + handful of nuts. And for dinner, treat yourself to stewed chicken breast and orange juice.
• On the contrary, iron is less absorbed when foods rich in iron are combined with foods rich in calcium (kefir, milk, etc.). Therefore, it is not recommended to combine them in one meal.

When managing pregnancy, specialists are faced not only with a decrease in hemoglobin content, but also with its increase. Causes may include blood thickening due to dehydration, intestinal obstruction, smoking, excessive physical activity, hypervitaminosis of B vitamins, diabetes mellitus, lack of folic acid, etc.

Hemoglobin may increase slightly in expectant mothers who often visit fresh air, in particular, among residents of high mountain areas.

• Hematocrit

This indicator is needed to determine the ratio of the number of red blood cells and the total blood volume. Normally this is 31-49%. Physiological reason a decrease in hematocrit is the body’s reaction to the onset of pregnancy. Pathological causes- anemia, bleeding. Hematocrit increases when the body is dehydrated (for example, when frequent vomiting, accompanying toxicosis in the early stages). Another reason for exceeding the norm is swelling due to gestosis ( late toxicosis). Hematocrit also increases due to consumption of large quantities salty food.

• Color index

It is used to judge the hemoglobin content of a red blood cell. The more saturated the blood is with hemoglobin, the brighter its red color. Normal color index is 0.85-1.1. A decrease in it to a level of less than 0.8 clearly indicates the development of iron deficiency anemia. This condition is called hypochromia.

Hyperchromia (exceeding the norm by 1.1) may indicate a lack of vitamins B9 in the body of the expectant mother ( folic acid) and B12.

• Platelets

These are blood platelets responsible for blood clotting. The norm of platelets during pregnancy is (180-320)*10 9 cells/l. A decrease in the norm is fraught with the development of bleeding during childbirth and significant blood loss. Exceeding the norm is dangerous due to the formation of blood clots in the vessels.

To assess the ability of blood to clot, the expectant mother is sent to a coagulogram. The content of platelets in the blood within the range of (140-400) * 10 9 cells/l is not a pathology. The physiological reason for the increase in the number of blood platelets is dehydration of the body due to vomiting, diarrhea, or simply insufficient drinking regimen.

Poor nutrition, allergies, bleeding, the presence of viral infections in the body - all this can cause a decrease in the number of platelets.

In the most severe cases, the expectant mother may need the help of a hematologist.

• Returning to the coagulogram analysis, we note that the study considers the following indicators:
• Clotting time. Normally - 2-3 minutes.
• Prothrombin index (PTI). Normal is 78-142%. An increase indicates that the expectant mother is at risk for developing thrombosis.
• Fibrinogen. Normal is 2-4 g/l. A decrease in fibrinogen content in the blood can be observed during toxicosis. Exceeding the norm may indicate the development of thrombosis.
• APTT. This is the most sensitive indicator of blood clotting. Normally - 25-36 seconds. Exceeding the norm indicates that the pregnant woman poor clotting blood.

• Leukocytes

Leukocytes are white blood cells. They are associated with the functioning of the human immune system. Accordingly, if the number of leukocytes in the body increases, it means that there is a fight against the disease - inflammation, infection, injury, etc.

The norm of leukocytes in the blood during pregnancy is (4-9)*10 9 cells/l (1st trimester). The norms for the 2nd and 3rd trimesters are up to 11*10 9 and up to 15*10 9 cells/l, respectively. The increase in indicators is due to the fact that longer woman carries a child, the more her body’s defenses are mobilized in order to be ready in case of any threat.

The most common causes of leukocytosis (exceeding the normal level of white blood cells) are:

• sexual infections;
• flu;
• bronchitis;
• otitis;
• pneumonia;
• allergies;
• cystitis;
• renal colic, etc.

It is important to identify the specific cause as early as possible in order to begin the fight against the disease in the early stages. For this, specialists usually prescribe additional studies, for example, bacterial culture urine, ultrasound, etc.

Leukopenia (decreased white blood cell count) is a consequence of decreased immunity of the expectant mother, unbalanced nutrition, and general exhaustion of the body.

There are different types of leukocytes in the human body. By the increase in the number of certain cells, the nature and localization of the inflammatory process can be determined.

• Basophils

Normally during pregnancy their content is 0-1%. Exceeding the norm is observed in cases of allergies, poisoning, and infectious diseases. Most often, an increase in the content of basophils in the blood of pregnant women is associated with allergic rhinitis (runny nose), provoked by pollen, dust, animal hair, as well as allergies to vitamins or medications. To confirm the diagnosis of allergy, the expectant mother is sent for a blood test for immunoglobulin E.

Despite the fact that the allergy itself is not dangerous for the baby, it will deplete the mother’s body, causing the woman a lot of inconvenience. But the little one under your heart feels everything stressful situations, so try to identify the cause of the allergy as early as possible and have as little contact with allergens as possible.

• Eosinophils

Normally, their content in the blood is 0-5%. An increase in the content of these leukocytes is also associated with allergic reactions or a predisposition to them. For example, before taking the test you treated yourself to citrus fruits. As a result, the study will show an increased level of eosinophils, although you have not noticed an allergy as such. But it still exists in the body, just in a mild form.

• Neutrophils

These are fighters with bacterial infections. They are rod-nuclear and segmented. The first are young neutrophils. Normally, they are 1-6% in human blood. The second are mature neutrophils. They are contained in the blood in an amount of 40-78% of the number of leukocytes of this type.

Have you ever wondered what pus is? So this is an accumulation of dead neutrophils. If, according to the results of the analysis, an increase in the number of neutrophils, especially young ones, is observed in the blood, it means that an infection is developing in the body, possibly purulent. These are sore throat, pneumonia, otitis media, appendicitis, meningitis, etc. Neutrophils are also actively produced during extensive burns.

On the contrary, a decrease in the number of neutrophils, in particular mature ones, is observed in infectious diseases such as influenza, measles, rubella, and herpes.

Pregnant women need to be attentive to this indicator due to the risk of infection with cytomegalovirus. It also provokes a decrease in the content of neutrophils. To clarify the diagnosis, the expectant mother is sent for analysis for TORCH infections.

• Lymphocytes

These are white blood cells that are the main component of the immune system. Lymphocytes are able to “recognize” viruses that the body has already fought with. Hence, a person acquires immunity to certain diseases.

The normal content of lymphocytes is 18-44% of the total number of leukocytes. An increase in the number of lymphocytes is caused by infectious diseases (chickenpox, rubella, whooping cough, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, etc.). An increase in the lymphocyte count is usually accompanied by a decrease in the number of neutrophils. For pregnant women, this may happen because, for example, the expectant mother caught ARVI in bad weather. Even a month after the end of treatment, analysis may show an increased level of lymphocytes.

The explanation for the reduced content of lymphocytes during the normal course of pregnancy is a kind of protection for the baby. At large quantities they would simply block lymphocytes in the blood " foreign body", preventing him from fully developing.

• Monocytes

These are the largest leukocytes. Normally, their content in the blood is 1-11% of the total number of leukocytes or (0.04-0.8)*10 9 cells/l.

The number of monocytes increases due to the development of infection in the body (in pregnant women, most often this is acute respiratory infections, ARVI, mononucleosis). The latter disease can be recognized by the following symptoms:

• increase lymph nodes, liver, spleen;
• development of cystitis;
• swelling of the adenoids, tonsils, pain when swallowing;
• increased body temperature;
• decreased appetite.

As you can see, mononucleosis is quite easy to confuse with a sore throat or the flu. To confirm the diagnosis of mononucleosis, additional tests are taken, in particular a throat swab.

A decrease in the number of monocytes during pregnancy is associated with general exhaustion of the body, so try to protect yourself from stress, lack of sleep, walk more, and watch your diet.

• ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate)

Normally in pregnant women it is up to 45 mm/h. ESR increases when present in the body inflammatory processes, as well as with the development of iron deficiency anemia. By the end of pregnancy, ESR increases almost three times, and this is not a pathology.

This indicator will remain this way (increased) for another month after the birth of your baby.

How to prepare for a blood test during pregnancy?

• The analysis is submitted to morning time, ideally - on an empty stomach. However, for expectant mothers, an indulgence in the form of a light breakfast is possible. It is better to get to the laboratory between 6 and 10 am.
• The day before, refrain from eating fatty, salty, spicy foods, as well as alcoholic beverages.
• In the morning before going to the laboratory, do not take hot bath- replace it with a warm shower.
• Avoid physical and emotional stress. They can distort the analysis result.
• Protect yourself from hypothermia. They may also worsen big picture according to the results of the analysis.

Is it possible to determine pregnancy using a general blood test?

So, now you know what basic indicators are determined during a general blood test and above are the norms for pregnant women and the reasons for fluctuations. But this does not mean at all that you can engage in self-diagnosis and independently interpret test results. Accurately determine pregnancy only by general analysis blood is impossible. Only an experienced specialist can take into account all the nuances (history data, symptoms, complaints, etc.). Therefore, do not miss appointments with your doctor and prescribed diagnostic procedures. Health to you and your baby!