Birth asphyxia and cerebral palsy

Abstract

For the neonate who is suspected of having undergone a severe asphyxial episode at some time during gestation, several blood tests may assist in the determination of when and how that episode occurred. The cord blood provides valuable data with the arterial pH, NRBC, and platelet levels. The NRBC count, SGOT, SGPT, serum creatinine, and serum sodium levels should be monitored for several days. In the context of the prenatal and intrapartum history and the clinical condition of the neonate, these hematologic markers may provide physicians with information regarding the timing and severity of the fetal asphyxial insult. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.