• Evaluation of the relationship between PH of the umbilical cord artery and short term outcomes in neonates born via normal vaginal delivery in Yas Hospital in 2017
  • Mehrnaz Valadan,1 Maryam Shamshirgaran,2 Amir Mirzapour Estabragh,3,*
    1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Yas Hospital Tehran University of Medical Sciences
    3. Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Isfahan University of Medical sciences


  • Introduction: there are so many available methods for evaluating a neonate immediately after birth but most of them are subjective and operator dependent. This study aims to determine the short term outcome of the neonates born with an abnormal ABG after normal vaginal delivery (NVD). Umbilical arterial blood gas (UABG) analysis is more objective than other methods.
  • Methods: 116 healthy mother with term neonates born via natural vaginal delivery were enrolled and UABG was taken immediately after birth. Outcomes were compared between neonates with an umbilical cord pH less than 7.2 and more than 7.2. P value less than 0.05 was considered as significant.
  • Results: Results were as fallowing: need for resuscitation (P = 0.162), NICU admission (P = 0.001), convulsion (P = 0.001), start oral feeding less than one hour after birth (chi square=0.001), hospital stay (P = 0.001), Apgar score (P<0.05). None of the neonates died in study groups. So, neonates with PH of the umbilical cord less than 7.2 stay in hospital longer than others, start oral feeding later, have lower APGAR scores, may experience seizure during the first 3 days of their lives, and may admit to NICU. Need for resuscitation is not relevant to PH of the umbilical cord.
  • Conclusion: An umbilical cord PH can be used as an objective method for evaluating neonates.
  • Keywords: umbilical, arterial blood gas, neonate, complication.