Follow-up of children born with an umbilical arterial blood pH < 7.
OBJECTIVE
We performed neurodevelopmental assessment in children born with an umbilical artery pH < 7.


METHODS
All infants born with an umbilical artery pH < 7 from a 19-month period were retrieved from the obstetric database. Obstetric, neonatal, and pediatric records were reviewed. At an age of 1 to 3 years, children were visited at home for semi-structured questioning of the mother and a Denver Developmental Screening Test of the child.


RESULTS
During the study period 1614 umbilical artery pH measurements were entered in the database. Thirty (1.9%) were < 7. From this group 23 infants were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, and 8 of them required intubation. Twenty-eight children survived the neonatal period. Three children experienced an episode of mild hypertonia. One child had a mild motor developmental delay.


CONCLUSIONS
Babies born with an umbilical artery pH < 7 are at greater risk to experience considerable short-term morbidity. Those who leave the neonatal intensive care unit without major problems have good outcomes, and pessimism in counseling their parents in unwarranted.
Nagel
H T
HT
Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
Vandenbussche
F P
FP
Oepkes
D
D
Jennekens-Schinkel
A
A
Laan
L A
LA
Gravenhorst
J B
JB
D000138:Acidosis / Q000150:complications*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005316:Fetal Distress / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome