title: Apgar score, meconium and acidaemia at birth in relation to neonatal neurological morbidity in term infants.
abstract: The relation between Apgar score, meconium and acidaemia at birth and neonatal neurological morbidity was investigated in 805 vaginally born term infants whose birthweight was appropriate-for-dates (AFD). Presence or absence of meconium stained amniotic fluid was not related to the neonatal neurological condition. The 1-min and 3-min Apgar scores and the umbilical artery pH were related, but the variances explained in neonatal neurological optimality score were very low (0.9 and 0.5% respectively). Combination of Apgar score and pH slightly increased these percentages to 1.5. The highest frequency of neurologically deviant infants was, on the other hand, found in the group with a normal pH but low Apgar score. It is concluded that in AFD term infants nowadays the predictive value of a low Apgar score, acidaemia at birth and/or presence of meconium for the neonatal neurological morbidity is poor. Most neonatal neurological abnormalities must be due to other factors.
mesh_terms: D000138:Acidosis / Q000151:congenital*; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis; D001034:Apgar Score; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008470:Meconium / Q000032:analysis*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000151:congenital*; D012306:Risk