The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 148, Issue 5 , Pages 590-594, May 2006

Oxygen saturation trends immediately after birth

  • Yacov Rabi, MD, FRCPC

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Partnership for Research and Education in Mothers and Infants Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Calgary Health Region, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Yacov Rabi MD, FRCPC, Foothills Medical Centre, Room C211, 1403 29th Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 2T9
    • ,
  • Wendy Yee, MD, FRCPC, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Partnership for Research and Education in Mothers and Infants Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Calgary Health Region, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • ,
  • Sophie Yue Chen, MD, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Partnership for Research and Education in Mothers and Infants Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Calgary Health Region, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • ,
  • Nalini Singhal, MD, FRCPC

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Partnership for Research and Education in Mothers and Infants Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
    • Calgary Health Region, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Received 1 August 2005; received in revised form 9 November 2005; accepted 19 December 2005.

Objective

To describe the changes in oxygen saturation (SpO2) in healthy infants during the first 10 minutes of life.

Study design

In this observational study, infants ≥ 35 weeks gestation at birth who did not require supplemental oxygen had continuous recordings taken of the preductal SpO2 over the first 10 minutes of life.

Results

A total of 115 infants were analyzed. On average, infants delivered by cesarean delivery had a 3% lower SpO2 than infants delivered by vaginal delivery (95% confidence interval [CI] = -5.8 to -0.7; P = .01). Infants born by cesarean delivery also took longer (risk ratio, 1.79) to reach a stable SpO2 ≥ 85% (95% CI = 1.02 to 3.14; P = .04). At 5 minutes of age, median SpO2 values (interquartile range) were 87% (80% to 95%) for infants delivered vaginally and 81% (75% to 83%) for those delivered through cesarean section. The median SpO2 did not reach 90% until 8 minutes of age in either group.

Conclusions

The process of transitioning to a normal postnatal oxygen saturation requires more than 5 minutes in healthy newborns breathing room air.

Abbreviations:  CI, Confidence interval , IQR, Interquartile range , NRP, Neonatal Resuscitation Program , SpO2, Arterial oxygen saturation measured transcutaneously

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 Masimo Corporation supplied, on loan, the pulse oximeters and saturation probes used in this study. The study investigators chose to use the Masimo pulse oximeters because of the favorable performance profile for infants in the literature. They did not receive any monetary compensation from Masimo and retain ownership and full rights over the data and decisions regarding publication. Masimo was in no way involved in the data collection, study analyses, study design, or preparation of the manuscript. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Yacov Rabi and Sophie Chen (Methods and Results), Wendy Yee (Introduction), and Nalini Singhal (Discussion). All 4 authors contributed to all sections of the second draft.

PII: S0022-3476(05)01209-6

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.12.047

Refers to article:

  • Oxygen saturations immediately after birth

    Ola Didrik Saugstad
    The Journal of Pediatrics May 2006 (Vol. 148, Issue 5, Pages 569-570)

  • Oxygen saturation in healthy infants immediately after birth

    C. Omar F. Kamlin, Colm P.F. O’Donnell, Peter G. Davis, Colin J. Morley
    The Journal of Pediatrics May 2006 (Vol. 148, Issue 5, Pages 585-589)

The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 148, Issue 5 , Pages 590-594, May 2006

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