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Haemodynamic changes in the brain after vaginal delivery and caesarean section in healthy term infants
C Dani1, E Martelli, G Bertini
1Division of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, University of Florence School of Medicine, Italy.
Objective:
To investigate whether the mode of delivery may affect neonatal cerebral haemodynamics during the first hour of life.
Design:
Prospective study.
Sample:
Healthy infants with gestational age > or =37 weeks and birthweight appropriate for gestational age, born after uncomplicated pregnancy by vaginal delivery or elective caesarean section, two to five hours after the delivery.
Methods:
Near infra-red spectroscopy was used to measure changes of oxygenated haemoglobin, deoxygenated haemoglobin, oxidized-reduced cytochrome aa3, and mean cerebral oxygen saturation (mixed cerebral oxygen saturation = oxygenated haemoglobin/total haemoglobin). Changes in cerebral blood volume were calculated.
Results:
Near infra-red spectroscopy data did not show significant differences between infants born by vaginal delivery or by caesarean section. There was a significant decrease of oxygenated haemoglobin and change of cerebral blood volume values at 120 and 180 minutes in both the groups, while deoxygenated haemoglobin and oxidized-reduced cytochrome aa3 were unchanged.
Conclusions:
A decrease of cerebral blood volume occurs after birth and this occurs both in infants born by vaginal delivery and by caesarean section.