title: Umbilical cord blood acid-base values in uncomplicated term vaginal breech deliveries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This prospective study was conducted to compare the umbilical cord blood acid-base values of uncomplicated, assisted, vaginal-breech-delivery term neonates with those of uncomplicated, cephalic-vaginal delivery term neonates and to determine whether a different metabolic status should be expected in neonates born by way of uncomplicated vaginal breech delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Umbilical cord artery and vein blood samples were obtained from 30 term neonates with frank or complete breech presentations who were born by uncomplicated assisted vaginal breech delivery. All these neonates had an Apgar score of >7 at 5 min and an uneventful neonatal course (study group). For each neonate in the study group the two consecutive term neonates who were delivered by uncomplicated cephalic spontaneous vaginal delivery, and had uneventful neonatal courses, served as controls (control group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The umbilical cord artery blood pH and pO2 were significantly lower (p<0.001 and <0.01, respectively) and the pCO2 was significantly higher (p<0.001) in newborns of the study group, compared to the controls. The umbilical cord vein blood pH was significantly lower (p<0.01), and the pCO2 significantly higher (p<0.01) in the study group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The umbilical cord blood acid-base values of uncomplicated, vaginal-breech-delivery term neonates differ significantly from those of uncomplicated, cephalic-vaginal delivery neonates. These differences may represent a greater degree of acute cord compression that reflects the different mechanisms of labor in vaginal breech delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology A, Lis Maternity Hospital, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fait
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lessing
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaffa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gull
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shenav
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Peyser
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kupferminc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001946:Breech Presentation; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen