The following is a summary of “Extrauterine Placental Perfusion and Oxygenation in Infants With Very Low Birth Weight: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” published in the November 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Kuehne et al.
For a study, researchers examined whether an alternative approach called extrauterine placental perfusion (EPP) during birth benefits very low birth weight (VLBW) infants without causing delays in care. It compared EPP against delayed cord clamping (DCC) to assess higher hematocrit levels, better oxygenation, and overall infant outcomes. This single-center clinical trial involved neonatal intensive care units, analyzing data from infants born between May 2019 and June 2021.
Involving 60 randomized infants (excluding 1 post-randomization), the study had 29 infants in the EPP group and 30 in the DCC group. Both groups had similar birth weights and hematocrit levels. However, infants in the EPP group displayed higher oxygen saturation during transition, as per pulse oximetry and cerebral oxygen saturation, compared to the DCC group. Overall, neonatal outcomes remained similar between the two groups.
Researchers discovered that while EPP and DCC showed comparable hematocrit levels, EPP notably improved cerebral and peripheral oxygenation during the transition period. These results indicate that employing EPP could be an effective alternative procedure for PBCC in infants with very low birth weights.
Source: jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2811323
