Risk factors for birth asphyxia

Abstract

Introduction. Intrauterine hypoxia and asphyxia during childbirth are the leading causes of infant mortality in the structure of certain conditions arising in the perinatal period.Purpose. To study the involvement of negative events for the fetus in the ante- and intranatal periods in the occurrence of perinatal asphyxia in newborns and identify the main modifiable risk factors that will allow formulating preventive strategies in the development of child hypoxia.Materials and methods. A retrospective assessment of the course of the ante- and intranatal period was carried out according to 50 case histories. Nominal data are presented with indication of absolute and relative values. Sets of quantitative indicators are described by the values of the median (Me) and the lower and upper quartiles (Q1–Q3). The χ2 test was used to compare unrelated samples. Differences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. Statistical data processing was carried out using the Microsoft Office 2021 software package.Results: In the group of children with moderate and severe asphyxia at birth, the median gestational age was 36 and 33 weeks. The main ante- and intranatal risk factors for asphyxia of newborns were established in the following percentage: fetoplacental insufficiency – 32%; premature rupture of membranes and medical abortions in history, 30% each; first pregnancy, anemia, obesity, hypertension, smoking, maternal age > 35 years, 18% each; isthmic-cervical insufficiency – 16%; history of antenatal death, threatened miscarriage, vaginitis, 14% each; acute respiratory infections during pregnancy, assisted reproductive technologies (IVF), uterine fibroids – 12% each; oligohydramnios – 8%; polyhydramnios – 6%.Conclusion. The structure of factors that can contribute to the development of asphyxia in newborns is diverse. Understanding the involvement of modifiable risk factors determines the need to build a strategy and tactics to reduce their impact on the development of the pathology under consideration.