A 32-year-old G2P1 at 41 weeks’ gestation is undergoing an induction of labor for oligohydramnios. During the course of her labor, the fetal heart rate tracing demonstrates recurrent variable decelerations that do not respond to oxygen, intravenous fluid, or amnioinfusion. The patient’s cervix is dilated to 4 cm. A low-transverse cesarean delivery is performed for a nonreassuring fetal heart tracing remote from delivery. After delivery of the fetus, you send a cord gas, which comes back with the following arterial blood values: pH 7.29, Pco2 50 mm Hg, and Po2 20 mm Hg.
What condition does the cord blood gas indicate?
A. Normal fetal statusThe blood gas results described in this case are normal. Normal values for umbilical arterial samples are pH 7.25 to 7.3, Pco2 50 mm Hg, Po2 20 mm Hg, and bicarbonate 25 mEq. Acidemia is generally defined as a pH less than 7.20. Birth asphyxia generally refers to hypoxic injury so severe that the umbilical artery pH is less than 7.0, a persistent Apgar score is between 0 and 3 for more than 5 minutes, neonatal sequelae exist such as seizures or coma, and there is multiorgan dysfunction.