Biologie périnatale : le point de vue du pédiatre

Neonatal sepsis and birth asphyxia continue to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns. In these situations, a close collaboration between paediatricians and biologists is necessary. Accurate infection biological markers as procalcitonin in cord blood allow clinicians to better assess the risk of infection and thus avoid abusive antibiotic therapy. pH or blood lactates measurement on blood cord are needed to early diagnose birth asphyxia but theses biological markers are not sufficient to establish a neurological prognosis. Permanent neurological impairment (cerebral palsy) may be attributed to birth asphyxia if three conditions are associated: per partum history of asphyxia event, biological markers of asphyxia and neonatal encephalopathy.