Risk Factors For Perinatal Asphyxia

Perinatal asphyxia is when a newborn baby lacks oxygen. This can inevitably lead to death. Perinatal asphyxia can occur before, during or after birth and for various reasons.

According to data from a recent study, approximately 20% of babies who suffer from perinatal asphyxia die, and those who survive usually have permanent neurological problems.

There are many situations that can cause problems with a newborn baby. These problems can occur before, during or after the baby is born.

This article will focus on exploring the latest research on this topic.

One of the main reasons why newborns die

The World Health Organization (WHO) includes asphyxia as one of the leading causes of death in newborns.

Often, during birth, doctors will notice that the baby lacks oxygen if the newborn does not cry or move. Another sign of neonatal asphyxia in a newborn is that the baby’s body is limp.

In both situations , doctors must act as quickly as possible. Doctors must monitor the situation closely and try to find out what caused the asphyxia in order to come up with the best solution.

A baby who suffers from a lack of oxygen before birth may require a caesarean section in an emergency.

What is the cause of perinatal asphyxia?

Perinatal asphyxia can be caused by several different factors, and these can vary depending on whether the asphyxia occurs before, during or after birth.

Perinatal asphyxia before birth

This type of asphyxia can occur during any month of pregnancy, although it usually occurs closer to the baby’s date of birth.

This is why routine medical appointments are important to check that everything is going well for both the baby and the mother. Some of the factors that can cause perinatal asphyxia include:

• Mors anemia
• Bleeding during pregnancy
• Incorrect placement of the baby’s head
• Prolonged pregnancy (more than 42 weeks)
• Infection that the mother contractes.

During birth

During birth , certain dangerous situations can occur. Although doctors are prepared to deal with any circumstance, it is important to know what can happen in extreme cases:

• The umbilical cord wraps around the baby’s neck or is compressed at some point
• Pregnancy poisoning that increases the mother’s blood pressure
• An airway problem for the mother
• Use of forceps
• Births that are longer than they should be.

After the birth

Despite the fact that they have already gone through the birth, the risk of suffering from perinatal asphyxia may be present even after the birth. Causes include:

• Premature birth, since the organs of a newborn baby are not strong
• Congenital malformation
• Lung or heart disease
• Severely underweight babies

Normally, if a baby suffers from mild suffocation, they cry too much, are irritable and have a more pronounced muscle tone. However, this usually lasts no longer than a day.

On the other hand, if the situation is more serious, the newborn may cramp, lack the sucking reflex required for breastfeeding and have very low muscle tone.

Neurological damage

How quickly the perinatal asphyxia was treated and whether it caused the newborn to have seizures greatly affects the likelihood that the baby will suffer from neurological damage.

Neurological damage usually occurs if the baby had any kind of seizures or seizures, if the aphasia continued for a long period of time or if other factors are added. For example, the risk of suffering from neurological damage is high if the baby has some kind of failure of the heart or lung system.

Another factor that can increase the chances of neurological damage is if the newborn has acidosis, which is when too much acid accumulates in the blood.

Due to close monitoring during pregnancy , many factors that cause perinatal asphyxia can be prevented. However, there are some circumstances that are uncontrollable.

While some situations are beyond our control, it is important to have qualified and attentive personnel before and during the birth who are experienced and familiar with the various situations that may arise for any successful pregnancy. Perinatal asphyxia can be fatal, so all precautions are necessary.