Systematic pH-measurements in the umbilical artery: Causes and predictive value of neonatal acidosis

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Abstract
During 16 consecutive months, all deliveries at a university hospital obstetric department were investigated with regard to incidence and causes of a perinatal acidosis (pHa.umb. [umblical-arterial] < 7.15). Psychomotor development of all acidotic newborns was followed up for an average of 15 mo. No literature data can be found about the long-term outcome of acidotic-born babies. The 2 infants with cerebral palsy observed here had severe perinatal complications, so that their neurological problems cannot be satisfactorily explained by the neonatal acidosis alone. The pHa.umb., except perhaps in extremely low values, cannot be taken alone as a predictive factor for the long-term outcome. It still retains its value in the assessment of the health of the newborn, together with other perinatal parameters such as CTG [cardiotocogram] and Apgar score.

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