One-minute Apgar Score Research Articles

Risk factor profile of massive pulmonary haemorrhage in neonates: the impact on survival studied in a tertiary care centre

Objective: Pulmonary haemorrhage (PH) in neonates is a fatal event leading to hazardous complications and even death. The aim of this study was to elucidate influential factors of the ultimate disease course that affect death or survival.Methods: Infants treated for PH in our institution from March 2009 to December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Infants transferred from other hospitals were excluded. Infants were grouped into two categories, deceased or survived at neonatal intensive care unit discharge. Information regarding perinatal history, initial management and laboratory results were obtained and analysed for each group.Results: Seventy infants fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 41 infants in the deceased group and 29 infants in the survived group. Overall, the infants in the deceased group displayed lower gestational age (27 and 1/7 ± 3.610 versus 29 and 3/7 ± 3.530 weeks, p = 0.009) and lower one-minute (2.342 ± 1.493 versus 4.035 ± 2.079, p < 0.001) and five-minute Apgar scores (2.342 ± 1.493 versus 4.035 ± 2.079, p < 0.001) and required aggressive resuscitation (p = 0.003) and a greater number of inotropes (2.195 ± 1.346 versus 1.069 ± 0.704, p < 0.001). Deceased infants were administered increased amounts of fluid during the first 24 h after birth (117.783 ± 32.325 versus 99.379 ± 17.728 mL/kg, p = 0.004). A relatively short prothrombin time impacted survival (p = 0.01), whereas platelet count was the only factor that significantly affected the time length from the onset of PH to death (p = 0.01).Conclusion: Infants with a lower gestational age in a compromised state are prone to die once PH develops. The initial management of fluid intake not to exceed the adequate limit is especially important in order to prevent PH-related deaths when correcting hypoalbuminemia and coagulopathy.

Inhaled Surfactant Therapy in Newborns in Artificial Lung Ventilation

Objective: to evaluate the efficiency of inhaled surfactant therapy in neonatal infants with respiratory failure. Subjects and methods . The trial enrolled 13 premature neonatal infants; their mean gestational age was 31.8±2.8 weeks and the birth weight was 1825±600.9 g. They had a oneminute Apgar score of 4.3±1.4. All the neonates needed mechanical ventilation (MV) at birth because the leading clinical sign was respiratory failure caused by acute intranatal hypoxia, neonatal amniotic fluid aspiration, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and cerebral ischemia. Curosurf was injected in a dose of 174.7±21 mg/kg in the infants with neonatal RDS at 35 minutes of life. All the babies included in the study were noted to have severe disease and prolonged MV. After stabilization of their status, the neonates received combination therapy involving surfactantBL inhalation to reduce the duration of MV. The dose of the agent was 75 mg. Results . After surfactantBL inhalation, effective spon taneous respiration occurred in 69.2% of the newborn infants; successful extubation was carried out. The median duration of MV after surfactant BL inhalation was 22 hours (4—68 hours). There were no reintubated cases after inhalation therapy. Following surfactantBL inhalation, 4 (30.8%) patients remained to be on MV as a control regimen; 3 of them had highfre quency MV. SurfactantBL inhalation made it possible to change the respiratory support regimen and to reduce MV parame ters in these babies.

Maternal Arsenic Exposure and DNA Damage Biomarkers, and the Associations with Birth Outcomes in a General Population from Taiwan

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is an established transplacental agent known to affect fetal development in animal studies. However, iAs has not been adequately studied in the general population with respect to iAs exposure during pregnancy and its impact on the health status of newborns. The aims of this study were to 1) elucidate the association between arsenic exposure and oxidative/methylated DNA damage in pregnant women, and 2) determine the association with birth outcomes. A birth cohort study of 299 pregnant mother-newborn pairs was recruited during 2001–2002 in Taiwan. We collected maternal urine samples during the 3rd trimester for measuring iAs and its metabolites. We used high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) for quantifications of the arsenic species. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) was used to measure the 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and N7-methylguanosine (N7-MeG) DNA damage biomarkers. Birth outcomes were collected to assess the associations with maternal arsenic exposure and the DNA damage biomarkers. Multiple regression analyses showed that maternal urinary iAs had positive associations with the methylated N7-MeG (beta = 0.35, p<0.001) and oxidative 8-oxodG (beta = 0.24, p<0.001) DNA damage biomarkers, and a decreased one-minute (1-min) Apgar score (beta = -0.23, p = 0.041). Maternal N7-MeG was also associated with a decreased 1-min Apgar score (beta = −0.25, p = 0.042). Mutual adjustment for iAs and N7-MeG showed an independent and significant prediction for a decreased 1-min Apgar score of iAs (beta = −0.28, p = 0.036). Maternal iAs exposure was associated with both maternal DNA damage and adverse newborn health. Maternal N7-MeG levels might be a novel biomarker for monitoring fetal health related to iAs.

The effect of low concentrations versus high concentrations of local anesthetics for labour analgesia on obstetric and anesthetic outcomes: a meta-analysis

The influence that different concentrations of labour epidural local anesthetic have on assisted vaginal delivery (AVD) and many obstetric outcomes and side effects is uncertain. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine whether local anesthetics utilized at low concentrations (LCs) during labour are associated with a decreased incidence of AVD when compared with high concentrations (HCs). We searched PubMed, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, clinicaltrials.gov, and Cochrane databases for randomized controlled trials of labouring patients that compared LCs (defined as ≤ 0.1% epidural bupivacaine or ≤ 0.17% ropivacaine) of epidural local anesthetic with HCs for maintenance of analgesia. The primary outcome was AVD and secondary outcomes included Cesarean delivery, duration of labour, analgesia, side effects (nausea and vomiting, motor block, hypotension, pruritus, and urinary retention), and neonatal outcomes. The odds ratios (OR) or weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random effects modelling. An OR < 1 or a WMD < 0 favoured LCs. Eleven studies met our criteria (eight bupivacaine and three ropivacaine studies), providing 1,145 patients in the LCs group and 852 patients in the HCs group for analysis of the primary outcome. Low concentrations were associated with a reduction in the incidence of AVD (OR = 0.70; 95% CI 0.56 to 0.86; P < 0.001). There was no difference in the incidence of Cesarean delivery (OR 1.05; 95% CI 0.82 to 1.33; P = 0.7). The LCs group had less motor block (OR 3.9; 95% CI 1.59 to 9.55; P = 0.003), greater ambulation (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.1 to 7.14; P = 0.03), less urinary retention (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.23 to 0.73; P = 0.002), and a shorter second stage of labour (WMD -14.03; 95% CI -27.52 to -0.55; P = 0.04) compared with the HCs group. There were no differences between groups in pain scores, maternal nausea and vomiting, hypotension, fetal heart rate abnormalities, five-minute Apgar scores, and need for neonatal resuscitation. One-minute Apgar scores < 7 favoured the HCs group (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.07 to 2.21; P = 0.02), and there was more pruritus in the LCs group (OR 3.36; 95% CI 1.00 to 11.31; P = 0.05). When compared with HCs of local anesthetics, the use of LCs for labour epidural analgesia reduces the incidence of AVD. This may be due to a reduction in the amount of local anesthetic used and the subsequent decrease in motor blockade. We therefore recommend the use of LCs of local anesthetics for epidural analgesia to optimize obstetric outcome.

Serum Cardiac Troponin T in Asphyxiated Term Neonates Delivered at Two Teaching Hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria

Asphyxia is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in the developing countries. All organs including the myocardium are vulnerable to ischemic injury in asphyxia. The aim of the current study was to assess myocardial injury in asphyxiated full-term neonates using their serum cardiac troponin T levels. In all, 30 term asphyxiated neonates and 30 gestational age-, birth weight-, and sex-matched controls were studied. Asphyxia was defined by double criteria of low umbilical arterial blood pH <7.20 and low five-minutes Apgar score ≤6, while the controls were term nonasphyxiated neonates with umbilical arterial blood pH ≥7.20 and five minutes Apgar score >6. The umbilical arterial pH was done soon after delivery, while the serum cardiac troponin T was done within the first 4 to 24 hours of life. Participants and controls were similar in terms of mean gestational age, mode of delivery, gender, and birth weight (P = 1.0, .07, 1.0, and 1.0, respectively). Two thirds of the asphyxiated babies had elevated serum cardiac troponin T in the high risk range (> 0.1 ng/mL). On the contrary, none of the controls had serum cardiac troponin T in that range. Serum cardiac troponin T showed negative correlation with pH (r = -.75), five-minute Apgar score (r = -.74), and one-minute Apgar score (r = -0.70). The study identified perinatal asphyxia as a high-risk factor for elevated serum cardiac troponin T and hence for myocardial cellular injury.

Impact of Mode of Delivery on Markers of Perinatal Hemodynamics in Infants With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

Objective To determine whether the mode of delivery of infants prenatally diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) affects markers of perinatal hemodynamics. Study design A retrospective review of patients diagnosed prenatally with HLHS and delivered within our institution was undertaken. Arterial blood gases, echocardiographic data, and markers of end organ function were compared based on route of delivery. Results A total of 79 infants with HLHS were enrolled between January 2002 and December 2008. The infants delivered by elective cesarian delivery (CD) had younger gestational age compared with those delivered by vaginal delivery (VD) or by urgent CD/operative VD. Those delivered by elective CD had lower pH and higher partial pressure of CO2 on arterial cord blood gas analysis. There were no differences in partial pressure of O2 and base deficit among the 3 study groups. One-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores, markers of end organ function, echocardiographic parameters, length of hospitalization, and survival to discharge were similar among the groups. Conclusions Overall, newborns with a prenatal diagnosis of HLHS transitioned well to extrauterine life without significant acidosis regardless of the mode of delivery. Delivery of newborns with HLHS by elective CD did not demonstrate any hemodynamic advantage over VD in our cohort of patients.

Effect of a pilot intervention on setting up hospital-based neonatal resuscitation leading group in 12 hospitals in China

Objective To evaluate the effect of a pilot intervention on setting up a hospital-based neonatal resuscitation leading group in 12 hospitals. Methods One provincial-level, two prefecturelevel and one county-level hospitals in Jiangxi, Liaoning and Hunan province were selected to participate in the intervention. A neonatal resuscitation leading group was set up in each hospital to investigate the mode of resuscitation practice training and re-training, improve and carry on the cooperation between obstetricians and pediatricians, record the steps of neonatal resuscitation of asphyxia cases and lead the exploration of the problems occurred during the process in their own hospital. The changes of asphyxia incidence and neonatal resuscitation process were analyzed to evaluate the effect of the intervention. Results (1) Incidence of neonatal asphyxia during intervention period: 315 neonatal asphyxia cases were recorded, among which 89.5 % (n = 282) were mild and 10. 5% (n=33) cases were severe asphyxia. The mean one-minute Apgar score was the lowest in county-level hospitals (5. 40±1.56), followed by provincial-level hospitals (5.63 ±1.67)and prefecture-level hospitals (6.03 ± 1.41). (2) Resuscitation was not performed according to the guidelines in 47. 9% (151/315) of asphyxia cases. Bag and mask ventilation was not performed according to guideline in 36. 5% (115/315) of cases. (3) Changes of asphyxia incidence after the intervention: the incidence of asphyxia in provincial-level (4.23 % vs 2.66 %, χ2 = 5. 021, P＜0.05)and prefecture-level (2.83% vs 1.67%, χ2 = 4. 948, P＜0.05) hospitals decreased significantly after the intervention. The incidence of severe asphyxia in both provincial-level (χ2 =3. 001, P＞0.05) and prefecture-level (χ2= 0. 966, P＞ 0. 05) hospitals decreased with no statistical significance. The asphyxia incidence in county-level hospitals decreased from 2. 48% to 1. 22% (χ2 = 2. 989, P =0. 084). The incidence of severe asphyxia in county-level hospitals decreased from 0.39% to 0. 00%(χ2=2. 567, P= 0. 035). Conclusions Setting up a hospital-based neonatal resuscitation leading group is an effective method to strengthen resuscitation practice training, promote the cooperation between departments, improve the level of neonatal resuscitation practice and therefore decrease the incidence of neonatal asphyxia in the hospital. Key words: Asphyxia neonatorum; Resuscitation; Evaluation studies

Morbidity and mortality of premature neonates after introduction of national in vitro fertilisation programme: Our experience

Infertility occurs in approximately 10% of couples and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is its most efficient treatment method. The National IVF Programme started in October 1st, 2006. Examination of morbidity and mortality of premature neonates conceived by IVF after initiation of the National IVF Programme. Retrospective analysis of history charts of IVF premature neonates treated at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Institute of Child and Youth Healthcare of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia, from March 1st, 2007 to March 1st, 2008. Of 189 treated premature neonates, 25 (13.23%) were IVF conceived, with mean gestational age (GA) of 29.46 +/- 3.28 gestational weeks (GW), one-minute Apgar score 5.44 +/- 2.45, five-minute Apgar score 7.16 +/- 1.92 and birth weight (BW) 1299 +/- 484.35 g; from singleton 12 (48%), twin 10 (40%), and trigeminal 3 (12%) gestations. The largest number of neonates were of GA between 29 and 31.9 GW (12; 48%) and BW between 1500 and 2499 g (9; 36%). All of them were treated due to respiratory distress syndrome, complicated in 2 (8%) with air leak syndromes and in 4 (16%) with pulmonary haemorrhage. Congenital anomalies were detected in 2 (8%) and intracranial haemorrhage developed subsequently in 21 (84%) neonates. Lethal outcome occurred in 7 (28%) neonates, in all cases in lower gestation groups (<29 GW). Variable analysis showed significantly higher incidence of chorioamnionitis (p = 0.0004) and lower GA (p approximately 0.00), BW (p approximately 0.00), one-minute Apgar score (p = 0.0007) as well as significant difference in prophylactic surfactant application (p approximately 0.00) and mean arterial pressure on admission (p = 0.002). Morbidity and mortality of IVF premature neonates does not differ significantly from that of other premature neonates treated at NICU. Prematurity and low BW are important factors in pathology of these neonates and final outcome is influenced by perinatal asphyxia, risk of systemic infection, prophylactic surfactant application and arterial hypotension.

Risk factors for neonatal transfers from the Sapopemba free-standing birth centre to a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil

Objective to identify risk factors associated with neonatal transfers from a free-standing birth centre to a hospital. Design epidemiological case–control study. Setting midwifery-led free-standing birth centre in São Paulo, Brazil. Participants 96 newborns were selected from 2840 births between September 1998 and August 2005. Cases were defined as all newborns transferred from the birth centre to a hospital ( n=32), and controls were defined as newborns delivered at the same birth centre, during the same time period, and who had not been transferred to a hospital ( n=64). Measurements and findings data were collected from medical records available at the birth centre. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression. The multivariate analysis included outcomes with p<0.25, specifically: smoking during pregnancy, prenatal care appointments, labour complications, weight in relation to gestational age, and one-minute Apgar score. Of the foregoing outcomes, those that remained in the full regression model as a risk factor associated with neonatal transfer were: smoking during pregnancy [ p=0.009, odds ratio (OR)=4.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–16.33], labour complications ( p<0.001, OR=5.5, 95% CI 1.06–28.26) and one-minute Apgar score ⩽7 ( p<0.001, OR=7.8, 95% CI 1.62–37.03). Key conclusions and implications for practice smoking during pregnancy, labour complications and one-minute Apgar score ⩽7 were confirmed as risk factors for neonatal transfer from the birth centre to a hospital. The identified risk factors can help to improve institutional protocols and formulate hypotheses for other studies.

Salivary cortisol in preterm infants: Validation of a simple method for collecting saliva for cortisol determination

Background and aims The increased use of salivary cortisol as a biomarker of stress and/or diurnal rhythms has facilitated research of Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) function. Saliva collection remains problematic with preterm infants. The twofold purpose of this study is to 1) establish validity of the filter paper method for saliva collection and 2) apply the filter paper method for saliva collection to preterm infants. Design and measures Whole saliva was collected from six normal adult subjects to create a pool. Validation measures included comparison of levels obtained from whole saliva and filter paper, an evaluation of storage effects, assessing spiking recovery, and measurement of linearity of dilution. In the application study, saliva was collected every three hours, before feedings for three consecutive days from 26 hospitalized preterm infants. Diurnal variation in cortisol was examined using hierarchical linear modeling and individual calculation of diurnal pattern using an accepted technique. Results Validation studies revealed acceptable recovery of whole saliva from filters, no effect of room temperature storage of filters for up to six months, and acceptable linearity of dilution up to 4×. Saliva from preterm infants was easily collected. Only 2% of the samples were lost due to inadequate wetting of the filters. An inverse association was found between postconceptional age and one-minute APGAR scores and infant cortisol levels. Variable daily cortisol patterns and no discernable rhythm were found for this sample; however, four infants appeared to show a typical diurnal pattern. Conclusions The filter paper method is a valid method of saliva collection that is feasible to use with preterm infants.

Opioids in the parturient with chronic nonmalignant pain: A retrospective review

The purpose of this research was to determine the neonatal outcomes of women who had been taking medically prescribed opioids throughout their pregnancy. A retrospective case study was done of 15 pregnancies associated with maternal opiate use between January 1, 1999, and September 30, 2002. Two cases were excluded due to coaddiction. Neonatal data were collected including gestational age, head circumference, length, birth weight, Apgar score at one and five minutes, details of resuscitation required, and Neonatal Abstinence Score. There were 13 pregnancies, which resulted in 13 live births; opioids prescribed included oxycodone, codeine, meperidine, fentanyl, dilaudid, morphine, and methadone. There were four babies with one-minute Apgar score = -5, and two babies with five-minute Apgar score = 5. It was concluded that neonatal growth markers in this population were within normal limits as plotted on the standard growth and development record of Gairdner-Pearson. Five out of 13 (38.5 percent) neonates were diagnosed with opioid discontinuation syndrome.

The Risk of Cesarean Delivery with Neuraxial Analgesia Given Early versus Late in Labor

Epidural analgesia initiated early in labor (when the cervix is less than 4.0 cm dilated) has been associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery. It is unclear, however, whether this increase in risk is due to the analgesia or is attributable to other factors. We conducted a randomized trial of 750 nulliparous women at term who were in spontaneous labor or had spontaneous rupture of the membranes and who had a cervical dilatation of less than 4.0 cm. Women were randomly assigned to receive intrathecal fentanyl or systemic hydromorphone at the first request for analgesia. Epidural analgesia was initiated in the intrathecal group at the second request for analgesia and in the systemic group at a cervical dilatation of 4.0 cm or greater or at the third request for analgesia. The primary outcome was the rate of cesarean delivery. The rate of cesarean delivery was not significantly different between the groups (17.8 percent after intrathecal analgesia vs. 20.7 percent after systemic analgesia; 95 percent confidence interval for the difference, -9.0 to 3.0 percentage points; P=0.31). The median time from the initiation of analgesia to complete dilatation was significantly shorter after intrathecal analgesia than after systemic analgesia (295 minutes vs. 385 minutes, P<0.001), as was the time to vaginal delivery (398 minutes vs. 479 minutes, P<0.001). Pain scores after the first intervention were significantly lower after intrathecal analgesia than after systemic analgesia (2 vs. 6 on a 0-to-10 scale, P<0.001). The incidence of one-minute Apgar scores below 7 was significantly higher after systemic analgesia (24.0 percent vs. 16.7 percent, P=0.01). Neuraxial analgesia in early labor did not increase the rate of cesarean delivery, and it provided better analgesia and resulted in a shorter duration of labor than systemic analgesia.

Caesarean route of delivery and hyaline membrane disease: a hospital-based case-control study in Greater Beirut.

A hospital-based case-control study was conducted to examine the relationship between hyaline membrane disease (HMD) and caesarean route of delivery, in light of sociodemographic, obstetric and perinatal confounders and risk modifying factors. The study population consisted of 78 HMD cases and a control group of 803 infants delivered at 25-36 weeks' gestation and admitted over a 16-month period to nine hospitals in Greater Beirut, Lebanon. The likelihood of delivery by caesarean section was nearly twice as high among newborn infants diagnosed with HMD as compared with the non-HMD control group (OR = 2.02, [95% CI 1.04, 3.92], after adjusting for fetal growth ratio, one-minute Apgar score, maternal age, antenatal steroid administration and pregnancy-related complications. The impact of caesarean section on HMD was considerably more important in infants delivered < or = 32 weeks' gestation (OR = 2.10, [95% CI 0.79, 5.52]) as compared with those delivered afterwards (OR = 1.13, [95% CI 0.40, 3.21]).

Síndrome de aspiração 7 do mecônio: análise de resultados obstétricos e perinatais

PURPOSE: to analyze obstetrical and perinatal data in 26 cases of meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). METHODS: a retrospective review was performed in 26 newborn records diagnosed with meconium aspiration syndrome. Patients were studied emphasizing average days in neonatal intensive care unit and main maternal findings and neonatal complications, correlating them with each other. RESULTS: Eighteen babies were delivered at GH-CSUF and eight out of this hospital. At this time 3,976 deliveries occurred at GH-CSUF, with an incidence of MAS of 0.45%. Nine of 18 babies were born by vaginal delivery; weight was >2,500 g in 16 cases. One-minute Apgar score was >7 in three cases (16.7%), between 4 and 6 in seven cases (38.9%), and between 0 and 3, in eight cases (44.4%). At 5 minutes, seven babies remained <7. Anoxia was the main neonatal complication (36%). The mortality rate was 7.7% and the average hospital stay was 19.9 days. CONCLUSION: MAS is a very important neonatal pathology correlated with high neonatal mortality rates, thick meconium in at least half of the cases, and with a majority of depressed newborns at delivery.

Meconium Staining and Its Effect on Hospital Care During the Neonatal Period

Objective: to characterize differences in outcome and course of newborn care between births with meconium-stained amniotic fluid and those with clear amniotic fluid.Design: prospective cohort study complemented by retrospective chart review.Setting: London Health Sciences Centre.Participants: all live singleton births delivered at LHSC between January 1 and December 31, 1996. Excluded were multiple births and elective Caesarean sections.Outcome Measures: degree of resuscitation performed on newborns, Apgar scores, paediatric consultations, transfers from newborn nursery to higher level of care, hospital revisit and readmission rates within 30 days of discharge.Results: there were a total of 126 births associated with thick meconium staining, 194 with thin meconium staining, and 52 with terminal meconium only. Resuscitation efforts were undertaken in 54.0 percent of thick meconium births, 32.5 percent of thin meconium births, 30.8 percent of terminal meconium births and 17.3 percent of births with clear amniotic fluid, a significant difference (p<0.001). One-minute Apgar scores less than 7 occurred in 23.0 percent of thick meconium births, 14.4 percent of thin meconium births 7.7 percent of terminal meconium births and 6.4 percent of births with clear amniotic fluid. Five-minute Apgar scores less than 8 were significantly more common (5.5%) in meconium-stained births of all types (thick, thin, and terminal) than in births with clear amniotic fluid (0.64%; p<0.001). Five percent of infants with meconium staining and 1.6 Percent of infants with clear amniotic fluid required paediatric critical care unit (PCCU) admission: a significant difference (p=0.016). Paediatric consultation rate after transfer from the delivery room was 18.3 percent for infants born with thick meconium, significantly more than the 10.0 percent for infants not born with thick meconium (p=0.014). There was no significant difference in frequency of subsequent visits to the emergency department or readmission rates in the first month after birth by infants who had any degree of meconium staining compared to those who had clear amniotic fluid.Conclusions: presence and degree of meconium-stained amniotic fluid prior to birth predicts an increased likelihood of resuscitative interventions and a possibility of increased intensity of care needed in the first few days of life.

Perinatal outcome in hospital and birth center obstetric care

Objective: Our purpose was to compare birth complications and fetal outcome in hospitals and birth centers. Method: We retrospectively compared all 801 deliveries between 1992 and 1994 from two free-standing birth centers against 3271 hospital deliveries in Berlin. The hospital collective was selected according to the same risk criteria of the birth centers. Results: The birth center group had significantly fewer medical interventions, with a similar cesarean section rate (3.0% vs. 4.6%, P=0.057) and occurrence of severe perineal lesions. The episiotomy rate was significantly higher (P<0.001) in the clinics for first-time and multiple births. The perinatal mortality was not significantly different (<0.1 per 1000). One-minute Apgar scores less than 7 were found significantly more often in the birth center group. Conclusion: When birth centers employ thorough risk selection and significant early referralrates to nearby hospitals, there is no evidence of increased maternal or perinatal risk compared to hospital deliveries.

Transverse arrest: a review of outcomes of rotational forceps and cesarean delivery at a single center

Objective: To assess whether Kielland forceps rotational delivery causes a significant increase in maternal or perinatal morbidity in comparison with cesarean delivery in the clinical situation of transverse arrest. Rotational forceps delivery has been reported to have unacceptably high maternal and neonatal complication rates when compared with either spontaneous vaginal delivery or non-rotational forceps delivery. Clinically, however, we considered the more relevant comparison between Kielland rotational forceps delivery and cesarean delivery as these are generally the two modes of delivery for the fetus in transverse arrest. Study Design: The charts of all the mothers delivered by Kielland forceps or cesarean delivery for the main indication of transverse arrest between July 1995 and June 1996 were reviewed. The following were evaluated: Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, cord pH, birth weight, neonatal superficial facial laceration or bruising, bone or nerve injuries, maternal injuries, 3rd and 4th degree perineal or vaginal lacerations, post-partum fever. Statistical analysis was by χ 2 (for Apgar scores), two-tailed Fisher Exact test (for post-partum fever), and t test (for birth weight and cord pH). A P value < .05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Fifty-two Kielland forceps and 30 cesarean deliveries were performed. One-minute Apgar scores of less than or equal to 7 were noted in 11.5% and 6.7% of the forceps and cesarean section groups, respectively ( P = NS); mean arterial cord pH was 7.26 for both groups; no cases of post-partum fever were noted in the forceps versus 16% in the cesarean group ( P < .05); the mean weight was 3,316 and 3,569 g for the forceps and cesarean group, respectively ( P < .05). The Kielland group was also characterized by the following: 19 facial bruising and 2 temporary facial nerve injury (resolved by the time of discharge), 3 perineal lacerations, and 3 vaginal tears. No blood transfusions were required for either group. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study that compares rotational forceps delivery for transverse arrest with its true clinical alternative, cesarean delivery. No significant difference in cord pH and Apgar scores were noted between the two groups. The birth weight was greater and post-partum fever was more common in the cesarean section group. Neonatal facial bruising, temporary facial nerve palsy, and maternal perineal and vaginal lacerations were more common in the forceps groups. This study suggests that rotational forceps may be a reasonable alternative to cesarean delivery in the management of transverse arrest.

Clavicle Fracture and Brachial Plexus Palsy in the Newborn: Risk Factors and Outcome

We undertook this study in aprimary care setting of a developing country, in apopulation with high parity and a high incidence ofdiabetes in pregnancy, aiming to determine the incidenceof these injuries in infants born in our hospital, to identifypossible risk factors in our population and to determine theprognosis for full recovery of affected babies.

Transient hypothyroxinemia in neonates with birth asphyxia delivered by emergency cesarean section.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prenatal asphyxia on perinatal thyroid function by measuring the levels of serum T4, FT4, T3, rT3, TSH and TBG in twenty-seven asphyxiated full-term infants delivered by emergency cesarean section, at birth and on the 5th day of age. All the babies had a one-minute Apgar score of less than 6 and body weight from 3 to 4.6 kg. The control group consisted of 30 healthy neonates which were delivered by elective cesarean section. The mean values of T4 and FT4 observed in the cord blood of the asphyxiated neonates were significantly lower compared to the matched controls, while there were no differences in concentrations of T3, rT3, TSH and TBG. At five days of life, serum concentrations of T4 and FT4 became normal. These results demonstrate the existence of transient hypothyroxinemia at birth in hypoxic babies delivered by emergency cesarean section.

Mother's Social Class and Perinatal Problems in a Low-Problem Area

This study reports the variation in perinatal problems related to social class in one area in Finland. Data on length of gestation, birthweight, one-minute Apgar score, and need for special care in relation to social class were obtained from a large clinical trial (n = 2912) on iron prophylaxis during pregnancy. Social class was determined from the woman's own occupation and education. Occupation was obtained from the women themselves and classified as upper white collar, lower white collar I, lower white collar II, and workers; entrepreneurs, students and women with no information were excluded. Education was obtained by record linkage to the national education register, and all women were classified by the years normally required to attain a certain level: greater than or equal to 13, 12, 10-11, and less than or equal to 9 years of education. Adjusted for age and parity, a week U-shaped curve was found for gestation length and birthweight, best results being found for the women in the second highest social class. The lower the social class, the more infants with poor Apgar scores. As potential intervening variables we studied marital status, pre-pregnancy weight, smoking, and haematocrit in the 28th week of pregnancy. Their inclusion in multivariate analyses influenced only slightly the differences in perinatal problems between the groups. Our results suggest that in Finland there are still differences in perinatal problems between social classes, but that the relationship is not always linear.