Coagulation Studies of Cord Blood, with Special Reference to “Fetal Fibrinogen”^[*]

Summary

The last phase of the clotting mechanisms was investigated in cord blood of 118 mature newborns.

The most prominent finding was a prolonged thrombin time, not due to heparin. It was accompanied in most cases by a low fibrinogen and in some by a gelatinous appearance of the clot and a paracoagulation of the serum. This association was found to be usually due to in vitro fibrinogenolysis with consequent appearance of fibrinogen split products.

In 9 cases the prolonged thrombin time was not obviously due to fibrinogen degradation products. The possibilities of the presence of high molecular weight fibrinogen degradation products or of a special characteristic of cord blood fibrinogen leading to a delayed fibrinogen-fibrin conversion are considered.

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