Journal of perinatal medicine
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Measurement of novel biomarkers of neuronal injury and cerebral oxygenation after routine vaginal delivery versus cesarean section in term infants.
It remains unclear if mode of delivery can have any impact on the neonatal brain. Our aim was to determine in term newborns any differences based on mode of delivery in either neuronal injury biomarkers, phosphorylated axonal neurofilament heavy chain (pNF-H) and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCHL1), or brain oxygenation values, regional cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (CrSO2) and cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction (CFOE). ⋯ We found no difference in neuronal injury markers between term neonates born vaginally compared to those born by cesarean section. From a neurologic standpoint, this supports current obstetric practice guidelines that emphasize vaginal birth as the preferred delivery method whenever possible.