Clinical and Interpretive

Umbilical cord blood analysisis used for evaluation of a newborn’s acid-base status immediately after delivery. It is used in cases of severe intrauterine growth restriction, multifetal gestations, intrapartum fever, maternal thyroid disease, breech deliveries, preterm births, births complicated by meconium staining, abnormal fetal heart rate patterns, and low Apgar scores., among other applications. The risk of neonatal morbidity is inversely related to pH with the highest risk at the lowest pHs, especially less than 6.9.