Aim In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of maternal iron deficiency anemia on the umbilical cord level of contactin 2, which plays a very important role in neurodevelopment, central nervous, and immune system, together with anemia and inflammatory markers.

Material and Method Our research was planned as a quantitative, prospective, and analytical type of study. A total of 90 volunteers, term, singleton pregnant hospitalized. While 45 of these pregnants were pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia (hemoglobin ≤ 110 g/L and serum ferritin level≤ 12 μg/L), 45 cases were in the control group without iron deficiency anemia (hemoglobin> 110 g/L, serum ferritin> 12μg/L). Blood samples were taken to analyze hemoglobin, mean cell volume (MCV), iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity, serum ferritin, hepcidin, interleukin-6, and contactin2 levels. Also, we noted, birth weight, head circumference, type of birth, 1. minute Apgar’s core, and 5. minute Apgar’s core. During the delivery; after the umbilical cord had been clamped and cut, we took 5 cc of umbilical cord blood. We calculated the level of contactin2 using special human ELISA kits. The umbilical cord contactin2 levels of the maternal iron deficiency anemia group and the control group were compared statistically.

Results When we evaluated the fetal umbilical cord contactin2 values of 90 participants, the median value of contactin2 in the babies of 45 anemic mothers was 76.42±3,54 (IQR 0.73), and the median contactin 2 value of the babies of 45 healthy mothers was 22,53±2,18 (IQR 1.02). We found a statistical difference between contactin2 and hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, hepcidin, IL-6, and iron values between these two groups (table 1).

Contactin2 fetal cord blood levels, along with hepcidin and IL-6, were significantly higher in the anemic group than in the normal group.

Conclusions In conclusion, the contactin 2 value of the babies of anemic cases is higher than that of babies of healthy individuals. Our study showed that the amount of contactin2 in the umbilical cord blood was significantly affected by maternal iron deficiency anemia.