European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: Numerous unfavourable outcomes for newborns are linked to foetal and neonatal acidemia.1–7 Low Apgar scores, respiratory distress syndrome, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, convulsions, intraventricular haemorrhage, sepsis, and death are some of these outcomes.1–7 Understanding the mechanisms underlying these results and the period of the injury can have significant medico-legal repercussions.

Objectives:

1. To assess the relationship between umbilical cord blood (arterial andvenous) analyses and perinatal risk factors in pregnancy.

2. To assess the relationship between umbilical cord blood pH and Apgar score in high risk group of pregnancy.

Material & Methods:  Study Design: Hospital based prospective observational study. Study area: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, in a tertiary care teaching hospital.  Study Period: Jan 2022 – Dec. 2022. Study population:  All pregnant ladies who presented in labor to maternity ward, in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Sample size: Study consisted a total of 192 subjects. 192 pregnant ladies who presented to labor ward, in a tertiary care teaching hospital. At the time of admission, they were assigned to high or low risk group according to whether or not they had any perinatal risk factors. High risk pregnancy is defined as the mother who is at risk to deliver a neonate with birth asphyxia according to the definition by American Academy of Pediatrics. All normal vaginal and cesarean section deliveries included in this study were chosen in accordance with this definition. Sampling Technique:  Simple Random technique.

Results: Apart from the study proving the statistical difference in the high risk and low risk groups in various cord blood parameters; it also compared the cord blood pH with the Apgar score to find any correlation between them. Pearson correlation was used to define the correlation. In the low risk group, neither arterial nor venous pH was statistically related to Apgar score. In high risk group, a statistically significant correlation was established between Apgar at 1 minute and the arterial and venous pH.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that umbilical cord blood analysis might be useful predictors of fetal asphyxia at delivery. Our study highlights a correlation between the presence of perinatal risk factors and umbilical cord pH in high-risk mothers. So we recommend assessing the umbilical cord pH in any mother who has a perinatal risk factor in her history or physical examination. Their potential role as a tool for predicting the prenatal outcomes should be evaluated in subsequent studies.