Umbilical cord gases in home deliveries versus hospital-based deliveries.

Gas values of umbilical cord blood were investigated in 85 home deliveries and compared to 28 primiparous and 57 multiparous matched controls deliveries in the hospital. Controls were matched for age, parity, absence of medical indications for hospital delivery, administrations of drugs, spontaneous labor and delivery, duration of second stage and birth weight percentile. This control group was continuously monitored (fetal cardiotachogram, microblood investigation). The median values for pH in the umbilical artery (7.19) and base excess (-9.9 mmol/liter) in home deliveries differed significantly (p less than 10(-4)) from those of matched controls (7.25 and -7.7, respectively) delivered in the hospital. Similar differences were noted for umbilical venous blood values. It appears that delivery in the hospital with continuous fetal monitoring favors the birth of less acidotic children. Other variables, like the conduct of labor, episiotomies and supine position, have to be investigated in separate trials.