Complete lack of, or inadequate intake of, oxygen by a baby before, during, or immediately after birth

Aetiology

Risk factors

• Small foetus
• Preterm/post dates
• Antepartum haemorrhage
• Hypertension/pre-eclampsia
• Diabetes
• Meconium
• Epidural analgesia
• VBAC
• PROM > 24h
• Sepsis (temperature > 38℃)
• Induction/augmentation of labour

Investigations

Identifying foetal hypoxia

• Doppler auscultation of foetal heart
• Electronic fetal monitoring cardiotocograph (CTG)
  • Hypoxia is characterised by loss of accelerations, repetitive deeper and wider decelerations, rising fetal baseline heart rate, and loss of variability
• Colour of amniotic fluid

Management