To Study the Correlation Between Perinatal Asphyxia and Electrolyte Imbalance

Aim: To investigate electrolyte (sodium, potassium, and calcium) imbalances in babies who have suffered various degrees of hypoxia in the early neonatal period. To determine the relationship between sodium, potassium, and calcium levels and the various degrees of perinatal hypoxia.
Methodology: This prospective observational study was placed in a hospital. The sample was collected using the consecutive sampling method. Apgar scores were recorded at 1 and 5 minutes after birth, and patients were chosen using inclusion and exclusion criteria. After obtaining informed consent from the parents, a thorough antenatal, natal, and postnatal history and clinical examination were performed. Results were recorded on a predesigned form. Complete blood count (CBC), haemoglobin, electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium), urea, creatinine, septic screen total leukocyte count (TLC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), band cell ratio, micro erythrocyte sedimentation rate (microESR), and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) were sent from venous sampling within an hour of birth as relevant investigations.
Result: There was a significant difference in the means of sodium, potassium, and ionised calcium when they were analysed using an ANOVA, with a p-value of 0.001. (Table4). Bivariate analysis was used to identify the relationship between the Apgar score and blood electrolyte level, and the Pearson test was used to calculate the correlation coefficient. A box plot was used to show the median and quartiles of the serum electrolyte in relation to the Apgar at 5 minutes. With a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.448, serum sodium increased along with the Apgar score at 5 minutes, demonstrating a substantial relationship between the two variables (Fig.1).
The link between serum potassium and Apgar at 5 minutes was significantly negative with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.422. Serum urea and creatinine increased proportionately with an increase in the severity of HIE grade.
Conclusion: One of the main issues with perinatal hypoxia is electrolyte imbalance, which is assumed to be increasing death and morbidity. The most common anomaly associated with birth asphyxia is hyponatremia, which requires precise and meticulous therapy. Hyperkalemia is equally important and needs to be handled carefully. Similarly, serum urea and creatinine levels were significantly different between HIE I and HIE III. However there was a modest linear negative correlation with hypocalcemia, which is not statistically significant.

Keywords: Perinatal hypoxia, electrolyte imbalance, hyponatremia, Hyperkalemia hypocalcemia