The blood pH test of the umbilical cord can help identify children with risk of brain damage and disability.
Birth is one of the most critical moments of a person’s life. During this moment, the child ceases to receive oxygen through the umbilical cord and breathe alone. Most of the time, this transition occurs without problems, but when something goes wrong, the consequences can be devastating.
We studied over 35,000 children born in Sweden between 1997 and 2012, following their medical records up to 20 years. We discovered that children with an umbilical cord pH lower than 7.05 (suggesting that they did not receive enough oxygen during childbirth) had to face a higher risk of death and deficiencies in the first two decades of life.
If oxygen deprivation (known as “neonatal academium”) lasts long, it can cause lasting damage to the brain and other organs – and even death. All over the world, more than A million children die Every year due to the deprivation of oxygen at birth.
A simple and painless test – sampling of the umbilical cord blood – can control acid levels (pH) to reveal how the child has faced the birth. A low pH in the umbilical cord indicates a significant scarcity of oxygen during birth, which can lead to a series of complications. However, all over the world, doctors do not reach an agreement on which value of the umbilical cord pH is considered abnormal.
In countries such as Sweden and Norway, a pH of the umbilical cord of less than 7.05 is generally considered abnormal, reflecting a more cautious approach, while other countries can define the pH limit of 7.00 or not to trigger further medical intervention. These differences in the guidelines can deeply affect the moment of interventions and the treatment of infants suffering from academy at birth.
In our study, the risk of cerebral paralysis (a disorder that affects the movements and coordination) was four times higher in children born with a fry of the umbilical cord of less than 7.05 compared to children born with the pH of the umbilical cord of more than 7.05. In the same way, epilepsy (a neurological condition that causes convulsions) was almost twice more likely in children born with a pH of the 7.05 umbilical cord. The risk of intellectual deficiencies was also more common, but only when the fool of the umbilical cord was lower (pH 6.95).
Our study has established a clear connection between the academic world at birth and long -term neurological problems. And the lower the pH of the umbilical cord, the greater the risk.
The brain is highly sensitive to the level of oxygen floating in the blood. Neurons, the main cerebral communication cells, are particularly vulnerable. If deprived of oxygen, these cells can suffer damage or die, influencing movements, memory and cognitive function.
The brain areas normally affected include the motor cortex, which controls the movement and is connected to the cerebral paralysis; the hippocampus, essential for memory and learning; and the base of the base, which regulate the movement and can be damaged in children with oxygen deprivation.
Quick treatment can avoid problems for life
If there is the suspicion of lack of oxygen in a newborn, the health team can immediately collect champions of the phh of the umbilical cord. In a few minutes, they can diagnose if the child’s umbilical cord pH is abnormal, allowing timely medical intervention that can save the child from long -term brain damage and even death.
Therapeutic hypothermia, or cooling therapy, has promised to reduce brain damage when applied during the early hours after birth. The child’s cooling helps to slow down the metabolism of the brain giving him time to recover. The medical staff usually cool the child of about 33.5 ° C for about 72 hours before heating him gradually again.
Researchers continue to explore new treatments to protect children from long -term brain damage.
Recognizing the effect of oxygen levels at birth is a medical need and a simple blood test can provide us with this information.
The collection of samples of the phh of the umbilical cord should be a routine in all motherhood, since this examination provides a portrait of the child’s health at birth. By improving assistance for infants and medical practices, we can help each child have the possibility of a better life, free from avoidable disabilities.
The Sunday of Tia-Marie receives funding in the form of a doctoral scholarship from the southern health region in Sweden.
Mehreen Zaigham receives funding from the Swedish Alf (Alf is the Swedish abbreviation of a national agreement between the Swedish government and seven regions on the formation of doctors and clinical research).
Source: Terra
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