VALUE OF THE URINARY URIC-ACID TO CREATININE RATIO IN TERM INFANTS WITH PERINATAL ASPHYXIA

The diagnosis of perinatal asphyxia is often inexact and present techn iques for assessing its severity are unsatisfactory. The purpose of th is study was to describe prospectively the value of the urinary uric a cid to creatinine (UA/Cr) ratio in showing increased uric acid excreti on in early spot urine samples for the identification of perinatal asp hyxia, and to assess the relationship between the urinary UA/Cr ratio and the severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Twenty-seven full term infants with perinatal asphyxia were compared with 40 healthy con trols. The UA/Cr ratio was higher in the asphyxiated group when compar ed with controls (2.11 +/- 0.83 vs 0.72 +/- 0.39 P < 0.001). Furthermo re, there was a correlation between the UA/Cr ratio and the severity o f the encephalopathy (r = 0.84; P < 0.001). The UA/Cr ratio was found to be a good, simple screening test for the early assessment of perina tal asphyxia.