Umbilical Artery Eucapnic pH to Assess Fetal Well-being

( Am J Obstet Gynecol . 2024;231(3):348.e1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.03.042) This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of different biomarkers—umbilical artery pH (Ua pH), base deficit (BD), and neonatal eucapnic pH (pH euc-n)—in predicting hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in newborns. The primary goal was to determine which marker offers the best ability to identify newborns at risk for brain injury, specifically those who might benefit from therapeutic hypothermia. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment for moderate-to-severe HIE, relies on early identification of the condition, typically through assessments of fetal acid-base balance through biomarkers in cord blood and clinical assessment.