Haemodynamic changes in the brain after vaginal delivery and caesarean section in healthy term infants.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the mode of delivery may affect neonatal cerebral haemodynamics during the first hour of life.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
Healthy infants with gestational age > or =37 weeks and birthweight appropriate for gestational age, born after uncomplicated pregnancy by vaginal delivery or elective caesarean section, two to five hours after the delivery.


METHODS
Near infra-red spectroscopy was used to measure changes of oxygenated haemoglobin, deoxygenated haemoglobin, oxidized-reduced cytochrome aa3, and mean cerebral oxygen saturation (mixed cerebral oxygen saturation = oxygenated haemoglobin/total haemoglobin). Changes in cerebral blood volume were calculated.


RESULTS
Near infra-red spectroscopy data did not show significant differences between infants born by vaginal delivery or by caesarean section. There was a significant decrease of oxygenated haemoglobin and change of cerebral blood volume values at 120 and 180 minutes in both the groups, while deoxygenated haemoglobin and oxidized-reduced cytochrome aa3 were unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
A decrease of cerebral blood volume occurs after birth and this occurs both in infants born by vaginal delivery and by caesarean section.
Dani
C
C
Division of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, University of Florence School of Medicine, Italy.
Martelli
E
E
Bertini
G
G
Pezzati
M
M
Rubaltelli
F F
FF
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
D006454:Hemoglobins; D010100:Oxygen