Antepartum computerized CTG and neonatal acid-base status at birth

Objective: To assess the correlation between individual computerized cardio tocography (cCTG) variables and acid-base status at birth before the first breathing in uncomplicated term pregnancy delivered by cesarean section. St udy design: A retrospective cohort study. Subjects and methods: Seventy sin gleton normal pregnancies delivered by elective cesarean section. The last antepartum cCTG performed within 4 h from delivery by the System 8002 (Oxfo rd Sonicaid, UK) was correlated to umbilical blood gas analysis (UBGA) valu es (AVL compact 2 analyser). Considering blood gas analysis values as depen dent and individual cCTG parameters as independent variables the best regre ssion subsets followed by a backward stepwise linear regression was used. R esults: There was no significant correlation of cCTG parameters with any of the values of blood gas analysis. However, when neonatal conditions, as ex pressed by arterial pH > 7.20, Beef > -4.0 mmol/l and Apgar score at 5 min > 7, were taken as an end-point, they could be predicted by Acc15 and FM/ho ur (sensitivity: 35%, positive predictive value: 92%, cut-off > 7 and 67%, 92%, > 21, respectively). Conclusion: In uncomplicated pregnancies, the pro spect of a vigorous newborn seems particularly associated with the presence of Acc > 15 and FM/hour > 21. (C) 1999 International Federation of Gynecol ogy and Obstetrics.