Lamellar body count in gastric aspirates of healthy term newborns: A prospective evaluation

BackgroundLamellar body count serves as a crucial indicator of pulmonary surfactant production, with deficiencies implicated in various pulmonary conditions causing respiratory distress in term infants. This study aimed to assess lamellar body count in gastric aspirates of healthy term newborns using an automated hematology analyzer.MethodsA prospective study was conducted, obtaining gastric aspirates from healthy infants within 30 min of birth, with dithiothreitol utilized as a liquefying agent. Lamellar body count analysis was conducted using the platelet channel of the cell counter.ResultsA total of 262 gastric aspirate samples were analyzed. The median lamellar body count was found to be 441,000/μL (49,000-3,493,000). Gestational age-specific lamellar body count values were described using percentile distributions.ConclusionThis pioneering study presents the first evaluation of lamellar body count in gastric aspirates of healthy term newborns. The findings suggest that lamellar body count measurement in gastric aspirates may provide supportive information on pulmonary surfactant status in term newborns and offer baseline physiological data in healthy term infants, serving as a foundation for future studies evaluating its potential role in the management of respiratory disorders.