Umbilical cord blood acid-base and gas analysis after early versus delayed cord clamping in neonates at term.
OBJECTIVE
To compare umbilical cord acid-base status and blood gas analysis between umbilical cords clamped within 10 s and at 2 min of delivery.


METHODS
A total of 158 healthy full-term mothers were randomly assigned to an early clamping (<10 s post-delivery, n = 79) or delayed clamping (2 min post-delivery, n = 79) group. After application of inclusion criteria, umbilical vein blood acid-base status and gases were analyzed in 65 early clamped and 51 delayed clamped cords. Fewer cases could be examined in the umbilical artery: 55 cords in the early clamping group and 44 in the delayed one.


RESULTS
Acid-base and gas analysis results did not significantly differ between the groups in the umbilical vein or umbilical artery, with the exception of a higher (p < 0.001) mean umbilical artery pO(2) value in the delayed versus early clamping group. No significant differences in umbilical vein or artery pCO(2) or HCO(3) (-) values were observed between the early and delayed clamp groups.


CONCLUSIONS
A delay of 2 min before umbilical cord clamping does not significantly change acid-base and gas analysis results, with the exception of a higher mean umbilical artery pO(2) value in the delayed clamping group.
De Paco
Catalina
C
Servicio de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de Arrixaca, Carretera Madrid-Cartagena, s/n El Palmar, Murcia, Spain. katy.depaco@gmail.com
Florido
Jesús
J
Garrido
Mari Carmen
MC
Prados
Sonia
S
Navarrete
Luis
L
D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000328:Adult; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000592:standards*; D003250:Constriction; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D013997:Time Factors; D014470:Umbilical Cord