Delayed umbilical cord clamping at birth has effects on arterial and venous blood gases and lactate concentrations

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the influence of delayed umbilical cord clamping at birth on arterial and venous umbilical cord blood gases, bicarbonate (HCO3-), base excess (BE) and lactate in vigorous newborns.

Setting: University hospital.

Design: Prospective observational.

Sample: Vaginally delivered term newborns.

Material and methods: Umbilical cord arterial and venous blood was sampled repeatedly every 45 seconds (T(0)= time zero; T(45)= 45 seconds, T(90)= 90 seconds) until the cord pulsations spontaneously ceased in 66 vigorous singletons with cephalic vaginal delivery at 36-42 weeks. Longitudinal comparisons were performed with the Wilcoxon signed-ranks matched pairs test. Mixed effect models were used to describe the shape of the regression curves.

Main outcome measures: Longitudinal changes of umbilical cord blood gases and lactate.

Results: In arterial cord blood, there were significant decreases of pH (7.24-7.21), HCO3- (18.9-18.1 mmol/l) and BE (-4.85 to -6.14 mmol/l), and significant increases of PaCO(2) (7.64-8.07 kPa), PO(2) (2.30-2.74 kPa) and lactate (5.3-5.9 mmol/l) from T(0) to T(90), with the most pronounced changes at T(0)-T(45). Similar changes occurred in venous blood pH (7.32-7.31), HCO3- (19.54-19.33 mmol/l), BE (-4.93 to -5.19 mmol/l), PaCO(2) (5.69-5.81 kPa) and lactate (5.0-5.3 mmol/l), although the changes were smaller and most pronounced at T(45)-T(90). No significant changes were observed in venous PO(2).

Conclusion: Persistent cord pulsations and delayed cord clamping at birth result in significantly different measured values of cord blood acid-base parameters.