Severe Birth Asphyxia without Sequelae: A Case Report

Abstract

Perinatal asphyxia is one of the major causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. It mainly causes neurodevelopmental delay leading to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. We present here the case of a preterm male baby of 1670 grams born at 31⁺³ weeks of gestation delivered by 25-year-old primi mother through vaginal delivery with history of umbilical cord prolapse. At birth, the baby had no heart rate and cyanosed following which he was resuscitated according to the Neonatal Advanced Life Support 2015 guidelines protocol.  After 5 minutes of neonatal resuscitation, the baby’s heart rate reappeared, but was only upto 20 beats/min and resuscitation thus continued. But heart rate did not improve despite of using all form of resuscitation procedure including intubation and drugs. After 2 hours, baby cried spontaneously and later baby was managed in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit according to the neonatal unit protocol of the hospital.