Appearance of abnormal electrocorticogram patterns during umbilical cord compression in sheep fetus.
A frequent cause of fetal acidemia, which sometimes results in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, is umbilical cord compression associated with uterine contraction. Using a sheep model of fetal acidemia, we examined the changes in electrocorticogram (ECoG), carotid artery blood flow, arterial blood pressure and fetal heart rate during cord compression. A characteristic burst of ECoG spikes emerged during cord compression at fetal arterial pH 7.18 even before the pH went down to severe fetal acidemia (less than 7.10). The administration of a neuromuscular blocking agent to the fetus did not abolish the appearance of the spikes. These results suggest that cord compression may cause abnormal brain excitement even in the absence of severe fetal acidemia and that this abnormal excitement can lead to fetal brain dysfunction, if cord compression is repeated or prolonged.
Takahashi
Takeshi
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Sugawara
Junichi
J
Chisaka
Hiroshi
H
Imai
Noriaki
N
Saito
Masatoshi
M
Murakami
Takashi
T
Kimura
Yoshitaka
Y
Okamura
Kunihiro
K
D000138:Acidosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014470:Umbilical Cord / Q000473:pathology*