RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Respiratory adaptation in term infants following elective caesarean section
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
JO Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP F417
OP F421
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2017-312908
VO 103
IS 5
A1 Daragh Finn
A1 Julie De Meulemeester
A1 Lisa Dann
A1 Ita Herlihy
A1 Vicki Livingstone
A1 Geraldine B Boylan
A1 C Anthony Ryan
A1 Eugene M Dempsey
YR 2018
UL http://fn.bmj.com/content/103/5/F417.abstract
AB Objective To determine respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (TV) and end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) values in full-term infants immediately after caesarean section, and to assess whether infants that develop transient tachypnoea of the newborn (TTN) follow the same physiological patterns.Design and patients A Respironics NM3 Monitor (Philips, Netherlands) continuously measured RR, TV and EtCO2 for 7 min in infants >37 weeks’ gestation following elective caesarean section (ECS). Monitoring was repeated at 2 hours of age for 2 min. Gestation, birth weight, Apgar scores and admissions to neonatal unit were documented.Setting The operative delivery theatre of Cork University Maternity Hospital, Ireland.Results There were 95 term infants born by ECS included. Median (IQR) gestation was 39 weeks (38.2–39.1) and median (IQR) birth weight 3420 g (3155–3740). Median age at initiation of monitoring was 26.5 s (range: 20–39). Data were analysed for the first 7 min of life. Mean breaths per minute (bpm) increased over the first 7 min of life (44.31–61.62). TV and EtCO2 values were correlated and increased from 1 min until maximum mean values were recorded at 3 min after delivery (5.18 mL/kg–6.44 mL/kg, and 4.32 kPa–5.64 kPa, respectively). Infants admitted to the neonatal unit with TTN had significantly lower RRs from 2 min of age compared with infants not admitted for TTN.Conclusions TV and EtCO2 values are correlated and increase significantly over the first few minutes following ECS. RR increases gradually from birth, and rates were lower in infants that develop TTN.