Whole-Body Hypothermia for Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy and Route of Delivery

This study aimed to compare the antenatal and intrapartum characteristics of newborns at ≥36.0 weeks, who underwent whole-body hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and had either cesarean or vaginal deliveries.

Retrospectively, we identified all non-anomalous singletons at ≥36.0 weeks who had HIE and underwent whole-body hypothermia at a community teaching hospital. Differences in baseline characteristics and intrapartum factors were compared among the cesarean versus vaginal deliveries using chi-square tests. Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between delivery route and various outcomes with adjustment for potential confounders.

Of the 32,765 deliveries during the study period, 132 (0.4%) met the inclusion criteria, and among them, 79 (59.8%) had cesarean deliveries, and the remaining 53 (40.1%) had vaginal births. The prenatal care providers (i.e., private, community hospital faculty, or others) differed significantly between the two groups (p = 0.013). Within 60 minutes of hospitalization, the characteristics of fetal heart rate tracing (FHRT) and its category (I, II, or III) did not differ between the groups. Sentinel events occurred among 25.3% of those who had cesarean and 30.2% of those who delivered vaginally (p = 0.556). FHRT 60 minutes prior to delivery did not differ with regard to the presence of decelerations (p = 0.409), and variability (p = 0.199), but whether it was category I, II, or III (p = 0.030) did vary significantly. The likelihood of neonatal seizure (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 1.03; 95% confidence interval: 0.41-2.58) and mortality (1.10; 0.03-45.5) were similar between the groups.

Occurring in approximately 4 per 1,000 deliveries at a community teaching hospital, the majority of singletons who had whole-body cooling had cesarean delivery. While the category of FHRT did not differ significantly within 60 minutes of admission, it did differ 60 minutes before birth.

· Whole-body hypothermia (WBH) occured in 4/1,000 births.. · About 60% of newborns with WBH had cesarean delivery.. · Neither braddycardia nor tachycardia was noted with 132 cases of WBH.. · Categories of fetal heart rate tracing differed significantly among those delivered vaginal versus cesarean..