Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of immediate postpartum umbilical cord pH on fetal discomfort and neonatal outcomes.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Gynecology at King Saud Medical City from March 2022 to July 2023. Around 47 full-term expected women who experienced abnormal cardiotocography during the active or latent stages of labor were included in this study.
Results: Around 29 women (61.7%) of the total participants were primigravida, while others were gravida 2 (14.8%), gravida 4 (8.5%), and gravida 7 (2.1%), with significant fetal bradycardia. Cesarean delivery was necessary in 17% of instances, with late decelerations occurring in 37 (78.7%) and persistent varied decelerations with loss of baseline variability occurring in 2 (4.2%) cases. The correlation between the umbilical cord pH and the appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration (APGAR) score at 0 minutes was highly significant (r= 0.821, p = 0.001), and the correlation between the umbilical cord pH and the APGAR score at 5 minutes was also highly significant (r = 783, p = 0.001).
Conclusion: The most accurate way to diagnose birth asphyxia is by measuring the pH of the cord blood, which should be done in all high-risk deliveries. Doing so might assist in the prevention or lessening of neonatal morbidity and mortality by ensuring that the newborn receives proper care upon delivery.

Key words: Birth asphyxia, umbilical cord blood gas analysis, neonatal morbidity, APGAR score, high-risk deliveries.