Neonatal complications in newborns with an umbilical artery pH <7.00☆,☆☆,★
Section snippets
METHODS
Between January 1986 and December 1993, 14,025 infants were born alive at the University Hospital of Nijmegen. Umbilical cord blood samples were routinely obtained during this period. Immediately after delivery the umbilical cord was double clamped; arterial and venous blood samples were taken by the obstetric floor personnel with a preheparinized syringe. These samples were analyzed within 20 minutes after delivery on a blood gas analyzer (Ciba-Corning 288, Medfield, Mass.). Results of these
RESULTS
The demographic and intrapartum characteristics of the 84 pregnancies (70 term and 14 preterm neonates) in the acidotic and control groups are summarized in Table I and compared with the general obstetric population of the University Hospital of Nijmegen over the same time interval (1986 to 1993) and with the neonates in the acidotic group that could not be matched. In the study group the percentage of nulliparous patients, breech presentations, vaginal operative deliveries, multiple
COMMENT
In numerous studies the role of labor and delivery as a cause of neonatal morbidity has been investigated. The relationship between umbilical artery pH as a measure of intrapartum asphyxia and newborn morbidity remains, however, unclear. This may be because there is no consensus on the definition of acidosis. Umbilical artery pH values defined as acidosis range from 7.206, 10 to 7.00.3, 4, 5 Goldaber et al.4 and Gilstrap et al.3 proposed a pH of 7.00 as a reasonable definition of fetal
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The relationship between umbilical pH values and neonatal neurological morbidity in full term appropriate-for-dates infants
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Cited by (92)
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2024, Computers in Biology and MedicineUmbilical cord pH, blood gases, and lactate at birth: normal values, interpretation, and clinical utility
2023, American Journal of Obstetrics and GynecologyIntrauterine, Intrapartum Assessments in the Term Infant
2018, Volpe's Neurology of the NewbornSevere neonatal acidosis: Comparison and analysis of obstetrical practices in two French perinatal centers
2014, Journal de Gynecologie Obstetrique et Biologie de la ReproductionShort term outcome of term newborns with unexpected umbilical cord arterial pH between 7.000 and 7.100
2013, Early Human DevelopmentNeonatal exposure to high concentration of carbon dioxide produces persistent learning deficits with impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity
2013, Brain ResearchCitation Excerpt :Hypoxic ischemia is one of the major factors involved in the pathogenesis of asphyxia (Belai et al., 1998; Vannucci and Perlman, 1997) and is thought to contribute not only to mortality and morbidity in neonates, but also to poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Other factors that are encountered regularly in perinatal asphyxia, such as hypercapnia and acidosis, also play a key role in its negative neurological consequences observed during childhood (Roemer and Beyer, 2008; Stevens et al., 1999; van den Berg et al., 1996). Remarkably, a linear relationship has been reported between the pH in the umbilical cord and learning ability (Stevens et al., 1999).
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From the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecologyaand Pediatrics,bUniversity Hospital Nijmegen.
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Reprint requests: Paul P. van den Berg, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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