Table 1.
Characteristics of study participants and control group
| CS due to suspected birth asphyxia |
Control group |
Significance of difference (p) | Adjusted significance of difference (p)* | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n=53 | n=120 | |||||
| Maternal characteristics | ||||||
| Age (years) | 30.4 | 5.7 | 29.2 | 4.6 | 0.2 | |
| Height (cm) | 163.2 | 6.4 | 165.2 | 6.7 | 0.07 | |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 23.8 | 3.9 | 23.1 | 3.9 | 0.3 | |
| Nulliparous | 35 | 66.0% | 50 | 41.7% | 0.03 | 0.002 |
| Smoker | 15 | 28.3% | 20 | 16.7% | 0.08 | 0.1 |
| Vitamin D level (nmol/L) | 43.6 | 18 | 48.6 | 19 | 0.1 | 0.04 |
| Mode of delivery | ||||||
| Vaginal spontaneous | 0 | 0% | 98 | 81.7% | ||
| Vaginal assisted | 0 | 0% | 10 | 8.3% | ||
| Caesarean section other reasons | 0 | 0% | 12 | 10% | ||
| CS due to suspected fetal distress | 53 | 100% | 0 | 0% | ||
| Neonatal outcome | ||||||
| Gestational age (days) | 272.2 | 23.8 | 277 | 13.5 | 0.2 | |
| Preterm delivery (n) | 9 | 17.1% | 8 | 6.7% | 0.04 | |
| Birth weight (g) | 2992.4 | 900 | 3550.3 | 619 | <0.001 | |
| Birth weight deviation (%) | −9.9 | 18 | 3.0 | 14 | <0.001 | |
| SGA (n) | 16 | 30.2% | 0 | 0% | <0.001 | |
| 5 min Apgar score <7 (n) | 8 | 15.1% | 0 | 0% | <0.001 | |
| Umbilical artery pH | 7.20 | 0.09 | 7.22 | 0.08 | 0.3 | |
| Umbilical vein pH | 7.25 | 0.1 | 7.31 | 0.07 | 0.001 | |
| Umbilical cord pH ≤7.15 (n) | 13 | 24.5% | 15 | 12.5% | 0.05 | |
| Birth asphyxia (n) | 17 | 32.1 | 15 | 12.5 | 0.002 | |
Mean and SD or number and percentages are given. Birth weight deviation=Birth weight minus expected birth weight (for gestational age/expected birth weight and expressed as a percentage, birth asphyxia=5 min Apgar score <7 and/or umbilical vessel pH ≤7.15.
*Logistic regression analysis including nulliparity, smoking and vitamin D level.
CS, caesarean section; SGA, small-for-gestational age.