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Published on: August 2, 2017
Effect of delayed umbilical cord clamping on blood gas analysis
Javier Valero1, Domingo Desantes, Alfredo Perales-Puchalt
1Obstetrics Department, University Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
Objective:
To ascertain if there are differences in umbilical cord blood gas analysis between immediate and delayed cord clamping.
Study Design:
In a prospective observational study on 60 vaginally delivered healthy term newborns, we sampled umbilical cord blood immediately after delivery and at the time umbilical cord pulsation spontaneously ceased.
Results:
There were significant decreases in pH, oxygen saturation (sO(2)), glycemia, oxygen content (ctO(2)), bicarbonate (HCO(3)(-)) and base excess (BE). Lactate and [Formula: see text] increased. Delayed cord clamping pH correlated with immediate cord clamping pH, [Formula: see text] , ctHb, sO(2) and time (r(2)=0.77, p<0.000). Delayed cord clamping lactate was associated with immediate cord clamping lactate and time (r(2)=0.83, p<0.000). Delayed BE was associated with previous pH, lactate, glycemia, ctHb and time (r(2)=0.83, p<0.000).
Conclusions:
Delayed cord clamping alters acid-base parameters and lactate values compared to immediate cord clamping. Those variations depend mainly on time, prior pH and lactate.
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