THE EFFECT OF CLINICAL CHORIOAMNIONITIS ON CORD-BLOOD GAS AT TERM

Objective. We sought to determine the effect of clinical chorioamnioni tis on cord blood gas values in term pregnancies not complicated by an y other disease. Study design. 2200 consecutive deliveries were studie d. Following exclusion of twins, non-viable malformations and stillbir ths, as well as mothers with high-risk pregnancy diseases - i.e. hyper tension, diabetes, preterm labor, third-trimester bleeding, IUGR, post dates, oligohydramnios, IV drug abused, decreased fetal movement, mate rnal viral infection, UTI or pneumonia (n = 897) - two groups of patie nts remained: term pregnancies complicated only by clinical chorioamni onitis (n = 81) and uncomplicated term pregnancies (n = 1246). Results . Evaluation of mean cord blood gas values revealed a significant diff erence in pH, PO2, PCO2 and BE values, with the infants of mothers wit h clinical chorioamnionitis having lower pH values (7.23+/-0.07 vs. 7. 28+/-0.07). However, evaluating the independent effect of chorioamnion itis on arterial cord blood pH (using a logistic regression model) sho wed that clinical chorioamnionitis, by itself, did not contribute to t his change in arterial cord blood pH. Conclusion. Chorioamnionitis was neither the explanation nor the cause for differences in arterial cor d blood pH found between the two groups in our study. In cases of chor ioamnionitis, these differences were attributed to other factors, such as length of labor, mode of delivery, method of delivery and presence of meconium.