A Single-Center Observational Clinical Study on Factors Associated with Regional Cerebral Oxygen Saturation in Full-Term Newborn Infants During Birth Transition

BACKGROUND: Hypoxic hypoperfusion injury in the brain is a cause of potential injury and even death in the growth period of newborns. Therefore, monitoring regional cerebral oxygen saturation (CrSO(2)) during this period is particularly important. This observational clinical study from a single center aimed to investigate the factors associated with CrSO(2) in full-term newborn infants during birth transition. MATERIAL/METHODS: We enrolled 84 full-term newborn infants delivered by cesarean section. We started the stopwatch with the obstetrician clamping the newborns’ umbilical cords and recorded the values of newborns’ CrSO(2), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO(2))(,) pulse rate (PR), end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO(2)), and respiratory rate (RR) at 2 min, 5 min, and 10 min. We weighed the newborns before they left the operating room and used statistical methods to compare the correlation between each observation factor. RESULTS: Pearson correlation coefficients between CrSO(2) and SpO(2) measured at 2 min, 5 min, and 10 min were 0.491, 0.599, and 0.587, respectively (P<0.01). Pearson correlation coefficients between CrSO(2) and EtCO(2) measured at 2 min, 5 min, and 10 min were −0.304, −0.443, and −0.243, respectively (P<0.05). Regardless of a newborn’s weight, PR, or RR, the correlation between any of those factors and the value of CrSO(2) measured at the corresponding time point had no significance (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a correlation between CrSO(2) and SpO(2) and CrSO(2) and EtCO(2) during birth transition of full-term infants delivered by elective cesarean section, but CrSO(2) had no significant correlation with neonatal weight, PR, or RR.