UMBILICAL ARTERY BLOOD GAS AND LACTATE IN HEALTHY NEWBORNS IN RELATION TO DELIVERY MODE.

Abstract

To establish the reference range of umbilical artery pH, pCO2, pO2 and lactate in healthy newborns in relation to the mode of delivery viz. normal vaginal, instrument assisted and caesarean section.Observational study, conducted at tertiary level neonatal care unit. Umbilical artery gas parameters and lactate from 95 newborns were evaluated. Out of 95 newborns, 10 suffered from perinatal asphyxia. Calculations and statistical analysis was performed using commercially available software Graphpad PRISM 5 (Version 5.03). The quantitative variables between the respective two groups were compared using Student’s t- test (unpaired). P value < 0.05 was considered significant. The mean ± SD lactate levels in healthy newborns delivered through normal vaginal, caesarean and instrument assisted mode were 4.34 ± 0.11 mmol/L, 2.90 ± 0.12 mmol/L and 6.49 ± 0.5 mmol/L respectively. The mean ± SD pH levels in normal vaginal, caesarean instrument deliveries were 7.21 ± 0.04, 7.25 ± 0.06 and 7.11 ± 0.09 respectively. The mean ± SD pO2 values in vaginal, caesarean and instrument group were 23.67 ± 7.76 mmHg, 17.97 ± 7.86 mmHg and 12.8 ± 4.81 mmHg respectively. The mean ± pCO2 levels in vaginal, caesarean and instrument assisted deliveries were found to be 48.67 ± 5.86 mmHg, 50.90 ± 6.18 mmHg and 61.4 ± 15.75 mmHg respectively.Cord blood lactate and blood gas analysis provides reliable information about the neonatal condition at delivery. The mean lactate levels and cord blood gas parameters in newborns born through different modes of delivery highlight the amount (higher/lesser) of stress that the newborns undergo in respective modes.
Key words: Umbilical artery, Lactate, Blood gases, Delivery mode, Newborns.