Background: From a forensic pathologist’s perspective, there are several aspects of the perinatal postmortem that are particularly important if the baby was born alive or dead. If the infant is delivered alive and dies a few hours or days later, access to the obstetric and neonatal notes is required to achieve a correct interpretation and conclusion in situations of perinatal morbidities occurring in hospitals. After prenatal hypoxia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a common cause of neonatal morbidity and long-term neurological disability. It has many causes including intrauterine strangulation by umbilical cord (nuchal cord). Failure of early diagnosis of neonatal asphyxia and its treatment is considered a medicolegal negligence against the doctors. Aim: The present study aimed to use cord blood lactate & S100 protein levels as early markers of neonatal hypoxia caused by nuchal cord to minimize the risk of medicolegal liabilities against the doctors and hospitals. Methods: This is a comparative cross-sectional study carried out 30 hypoxic neonates due to intrauterine cord strangulation. Lactate & S100 protein levels in the cord blood were evaluated. As a control group, 30 apparently healthy neonates were compared in age, sex, and body weight. Results: Lactate & S100 protein levels in cord blood were a higher significant difference in HIE neonates than control group. In conclusion: lactate & S100 protein levels in cord blood could be used as an early marker for diagnosis of neonatal HIE. |
