Changes in metabolic acidosis following birth in intensive care unit neonates

Acidosis in the fetus-neonate is often measured at the time of delivery from samples of arterial and venous umbilical cord blood. The cord blood arterial pH and base excess (BE) in particular, reflecting the degree of metabolic acidosis present in the fetus just prior to birth, may be used retrospectively to assess the impact of intrapartum events, timeliness of interventions, and prospectively to guide newborn treatment (e.g., therapeutic hypothermia) [1 –3]. Severe acidosis (pH ≤ 7.1 and especially ≤ 7.0) in the umbilical cord artery is commonly used to assess the risk of fetal neurologic injury attributable to intrapartum events [1].
Source: European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology - Category: OBGYN Authors: Tags: Full length article Source Type: research