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Simple outstanding can avoid health consequences for the rest of your life – and the key is in the pH of the umbilical cord.
When a baby ceases to receive oxygen through the umbilical cord and breathes in itself, the change is often peaceful, but when something goes wrong, the consequences can be devastating.
A new one published in February in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology It investigated more than 35,000 babies born in Sweden between 1997 and 2012, following their health records for 20 years.
Researchers found that babies with a pH of the umbilical cord below 7.05 (suggesting that they did not receive sufficient oxygen during delivery) faced a higher risk of death and disability in the first two decades of life.
If oxygen deprivation (known as “neonatal academium”) lasts a long time, it can cause lasting brain damage and other organs – and even death. Worldwide, More than one million babies die every year due to oxygen deprivation to birth.
One SIMPLE AND POLOR TEST – Namely a blood sample of the umbilical cord – can verify acidity levels (pH) to reveal how the baby dealt with birth. A low pH in the umbilical cord indicates a significant absence of oxygen during delivery, which can lead to a series of complications. However, around the world, doctors do not agree on the value of the pH of the umbilical cord that is considered abnormal.
In countries such as Sweden and Norway, an umbilical pH of less than 7.05 is often considered abnormal, while other countries can define the pH threshold of 7.00 or less to trigger additional medical intervention. These differences in the guidelines can profoundly affect the moment of interventions and the management of newborns suffering from academia to the birth.
In this study the Risk of cerebral palsy (A disturbance that affects movements and coordination) was four times higher in babies born with a pH of the umbilical cord of less than 7.05, compared to babies born with a pH of the umbilical cord more than 7.05.
Similarly, the epilepsy (a neurological disease that causes seizures) was almost twice more likely in babies born with a 7.05 umbilical cord pH. The risk of intellectual disability It was also more common, but only when the pH of the umbilical cord was lower (pH 6.95).
The new study has established a connection between academia to 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 fluctuating oxygen levels in the blood. Neurons, the main brain communication cells, are particularly vulnerable. If they are deprived of oxygen, cells may suffer damage or die, affecting movement, memory and cognitive function.
Quick treatment can avoid problems for life
If there is a suspicion of lack of oxygen in a newborn, health personnel can collect samples of the pH of the cord a few minutes, They can diagnose whether the pH of the baby umbilical cord is anombilical immediately. Emal, allowing a timely medical intervention that can save the baby from long -term brain damage and even death.
A therapeutic hypothermia, Or cooling therapy, it has been promising to reduce brain damage when applied during the early hours after birth. The baby’s cooling helps to slow down brain metabolism by giving it time to heal. Normally, medical staff cools the baby up to about 33.5 ° C for about 72 hours before gradually warmed it.
A sampling of the umbilical cord pH should be a routine in all maternitiesthe investigators point to, as this test provides an instant image of the baby’s health to the birth.
