Intrauterine fetal hypoxia: signs, causes, treatment and prevention. Hypoxia during childbirth - asphyxia of the newborn

Fetal hypoxia– disruption of the vital functions of the fetus, developing due to lack of oxygen during pregnancy and childbirth.

As a rule, oxygen deficiency occurs during the period and is associated with different problems. The most common of them are or chronic diseases mother.

Fetal hypoxia develops under the influence of many disorders of the process and pregnancy.

Slight hypoxia will not affect the life and health of the fetus in any way. However in severe cases of the disease which is accompanied by ischemia and necrosis internal organs, irreversible consequences for the health of the fetus occur.

Oxygen starvation of the fetus occurs due to various processes in the mother, fetus or placenta. Hypoxia can be chronic or acute.

Acute hypoxia develops suddenly, and chronic - within long period time. Acute hypoxia, as a rule, occurs during childbirth, and is extremely rare during pregnancy.

Chronic it can develop throughout pregnancy.

Symptoms

Hypoxia can be diagnosed by increased heart rate early stages pregnancy and delayed - in later stages. In addition, heart sounds are muffled.

Besides original fetal feces appear which is called meconium, in amniotic fluid.

If a pregnant woman experiences light form fetal hypoxia, then she can feel that the baby has begun to move much more actively.

In case of severe on the contrary, his movements become slower and occur less frequently.

So, if you suspect that you have this disease, then keep a movement diary.

If their frequency is less than 10 per hour, then you should contact your gynecologist to prescribe further tests.

Signs

Detection of fetal hypoxia is almost impossible. However, it can be suspected based on maternal anemia or other medical conditions.

Mid pregnancy When the baby's movements are most active, hypoxia can be suspected if their frequency decreases. If your movements become more sluggish or infrequent, contact your healthcare provider.

Besides own feelings, the diagnosis of fetal hypoxia can be made based on examinations:

1. If, according to the results of an ultrasound examination, the size and weight of the fetus less than normal, and there is also a delay in its development.
2. If Doppler ultrasound shows poor blood flow in the placenta, uterine arteries or there is a suspicion of a reduced fetal heart rate.
3. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the condition of the fetus is assessed as 8 or lower. However, this indicator often shows hypoxia when there is none. So if you suspect this disease, you should redo the test after a few days.
4. In some cases, amnioscopy is performed and blood is taken from the skin of the baby’s head during childbirth.
5. Color may indicate the presence of fetal hypoxia during childbirth amniotic fluid. In this case, they become cloudy green in color, in some cases containing meconium. There is no fetal hypoxia during childbirth if the waters break clear.

Causes

Hypoxia is not an independent disease, these are consequences of various factors. These factors can come from the mother, the fetus, or the abnormal course of pregnancy.

Reasons chronic hypoxia mother's side most often are:

• kidney disease or toxic damage;
• pregnant;
• intoxication;
• heart disease vascular system or lungs;
• maternal smoking during pregnancy;
• unfavorable working conditions.

Among the main complications the course of pregnancy, which causes hypoxia, we can highlight:

• gestosis;
• or ;
• insufficient uterine placental blood flow;
• diseases of the placenta;
• incorrect presentation of the fetus;
• pregnancy.

Chronic hypoxia can also be caused by diseases of the fetus itself. The most common of them:

• hemolytic disease, especially in severe form;
• birth defects development;
• fetal anemia;
• infections.

The causes of acute hypoxia are:

• placental abruption;
• rapid labor;
• compression of the head during childbirth;
• pain relief given to a woman in labor during childbirth;
• weak labor activity.

Forms of the disease

Fetal hypoxia may be acute, subacute and chronic.

Acute hypoxia may occur during pregnancy or childbirth. In the first case, it occurs due to uterine rupture or premature placental abruption. In the second – with abnormal labor activity or clamping of the umbilical cord.

Under acute hypoxia occurs a few days before birth.

Chronic hypoxia occurs when there is a complication of pregnancy or illness of the mother or fetus. Due to a long-term lack of nutrients and oxygen, as a rule, there is a delay in fetal development and insufficient fetal size.

The danger of hypoxia for the fetus and its consequences

On different dates During pregnancy, fetal hypoxia can cause various disorders and pathologies of fetal development.

In the first trimester During the formation of the fetus and its internal organs, hypoxia can cause pathologies in fetal development.

On later pregnancy because of oxygen starvation the fetus may have developmental delays, insufficient size and weight, as well as lesions of the central nervous system.

Hypoxia during childbirth can cause fetal asphyxia and severe disorders of the central nervous system. That is why, if hypoxia occurs during childbirth, it is recommended to carry out.

Diagnosis and treatment of the disease

In case of acute oxygen deprivation the fetus during childbirth must undergo emergency C-section. When dilating the cervix, forceps are applied.

If we are talking about chronic hypoxia that occurred during pregnancy, then during childbirth the mother is administered glucose, ascorbic acid and antispasmodics, as well as oxygen therapy.

For chronic fetal hypoxia, some doctors recommend do not treat this condition, but monitor the condition of the fetus. In this case, if the situation worsens significantly, an emergency caesarean section should be performed.

• prescribed to a pregnant woman bed rest which improves blood circulation in the uterine cavity;
• Prescribe drugs that improve metabolism, capillary blood supply, as well as placental blood flow. In addition, it is necessary to use drugs that increase cell permeability to oxygen;
• treatment of diseases that caused hypoxia;
• drugs that reduce uterine contractions;
• if the fetal condition worsens, a caesarean section should be performed after the 28th week.

Prevention of disease

A pregnant woman and her doctor should monitor the course of her pregnancy very closely. Thus, it will be possible to determine fetal hypoxia as early as possible.

Oxygen starvation of the fetus occurs due to diseases of the pregnant woman or fetus. So the most important thing is to early diagnosis pregnant woman and fetus.

Besides it is important that the expectant mother not only during pregnancy, but also before it, I monitored my health, nutrition, led a healthy lifestyle and experienced sufficient physical activity.

Throughout pregnancy, a woman should walk as much as possible fresh air . This rule will allow the pregnant woman not only to prevent certain possible complications pregnancy, including oxygen starvation of the fetus.

Supply of oxygen to the body ensures better metabolism in the placenta and reduces the likelihood of oxygen starvation of the fetus.

In addition to prevention with the help of walks in the fresh air you can treat and mild degree fetal hypoxia. Because no oxygen cocktails can replace several hours in the fresh air.

If the expectant mother does not have or, then It’s worth doing swimming or aqua gymnastics.

B Pregnancy for every woman is the most pleasant and enthusiastic period. But often some expectant mothers find out on an ultrasound that they have fetal hypoxia, the symptoms and consequences of which are unfavorable for both the baby and her.

In addition, the question immediately arises as to what is the cause of this phenomenon and what can happen if fetal hypoxia is left untreated. This pathological condition occurs due to insufficient oxygen supply to the baby. It occurs in approximately 10% of pregnant women.

When the baby begins to develop in the uterus, his lungs are not yet developed to breathe on his own. Moreover, throughout the entire pregnancy, the child breathes at the expense of the mother, since there is amniotic fluid. The child makes breathing movements, but this is only preparation for the real inhalation and exhalation of oxygen. While in the womb, the baby does not receive oxygen through the lungs.

The main source of oxygen for the baby is the placenta and umbilical cord. Thus, oxygen comes from the mother's blood. When the mother's blood circulation is disrupted, this leads to oxygen starvation of the child. Moreover, such a pathology can occur at any stage of pregnancy, both at the very beginning and during last trimester. When a child experiences oxygen starvation, this phenomenon is called fetal hypoxia.

Fetal hypoxia, the symptoms of which have specific signs, negatively affects the child’s condition. That's why early detection symptoms can prevent serious consequences of the disease. Fetal hypoxia is very difficult to detect in the first trimester. It is determined only if a pregnant woman has anemia or other blood diseases.

Future mom may suspect hypoxia at 18-20 weeks of pregnancy, when the number of movements decreases significantly. It is precisely the decrease in the child’s activity that is a reason to start getting nervous, since most often this phenomenon is a sign of oxygen starvation. At the same time, the baby’s movements become weak and barely perceptible. If a pregnant woman begins to notice that the baby’s movements have become rare and sluggish, then it is necessary to urgently seek medical help.

The main signs of fetal hypoxia are:

• deterioration of blood circulation in the placenta;
• delayed development of the child, which manifests itself in his lag in weight and size;
• decreased number of heartbeats (less than 130 beats per minute);
• CTG readings of 7 points or less;
• poor blood and urine tests in a pregnant woman;
• weak and infrequent movements of the baby.

After 30 weeks, every pregnant woman begins to undergo CTG. When a child has hypoxia, pathological abnormalities are visible in the readings. These include an indicator of the child's condition or PSP, which is greater than 1, as well as a reduced basal heart rate. But poor CTG readings do not always indicate the presence of hypoxia, since it sometimes gives false results. To get more accurate results It is recommended to repeat the procedure the next day or every other day.

Fetal hypoxia during pregnancy can be determined using additional methods diagnostics, including amnioscopy or blood sampling from skin head of the child, which is carried out only during childbirth. In addition, during the process of delivery, fetal hypoxia can be determined by the color and type of amniotic fluid. The presence of oxygen starvation occurs if the waters have a green, cloudy color.

Amniotic fluid with a heterogeneous structure should cause concern. They may contain meconium. The content of foreign substances signals fetal hypoxia. Normal amniotic fluid should be transparent and clean, which indicates good blood circulation and the condition of the child.

Chronic fetal hypoxia occurs throughout pregnancy. A woman who has such a pathology should be constantly monitored by a local gynecologist. The patient is prescribed repeated ultrasounds, CTG and other procedures. In this case, a pregnant woman is most often admitted to a hospital, since oxygen starvation of the baby can lead to dangerous consequences, including premature birth or miscarriage.

There are several effective methods how to determine fetal hypoxia. These include routine ultrasound, which is carried out in each trimester, and CTG, carried out after the 30th week of pregnancy.

Main causes of fetal hypoxia

Intrauterine fetal hypoxia can be caused by many factors, both internal and external. So, on the mother’s side, the causes of the disease can be:

• Iron-deficiency anemia;
• low hemoglobin level;
• diseases of internal organs and systems, including bronchitis, diabetes;
• metabolic disease;
• bad habits;
• sedentary lifestyle.

To exclude the occurrence of fetal hypoxia, it is recommended to start planning pregnancy in advance. It is necessary to check the health status of both parents, and also stop drinking alcohol and smoking 1-2 years before conceiving a child. In addition, you should undergo a comprehensive diagnostics of the body to identify hidden infections and diseases.

There are also several causes of the disease that manifest themselves on the part of the child who is in the womb. These include congenital defects, placental insufficiency, or infections that occur inside the uterus. Fetal hypoxia also occurs during childbirth. It may be caused incorrect position baby. For example, with an oblique, pelvic presentation.

Acute fetal hypoxia occurs when multiple births, umbilical cord prolapse or placental abruption. Premature aging placenta can also lead to hypoxia of the child. Therefore, when an appropriate diagnosis is made, treatment should be started immediately. The exact cause of the pathology can only be determined on the basis of ultrasound, blood and urine tests, as well as during the process of delivery.

Signs of fetal hypoxia are distinctive features, so it is difficult to confuse them with symptoms of other diseases. This pathology occurs very often, therefore, to prevent it, pregnant women must undergo examinations, take tests and visit specialists, including an otolaryngologist, an ophthalmologist, endocrinologists and others.

Fetal hypoxia, the causes of which are not fully understood, can occur in healthy women that lead active image life. This is due to the fact that the environmental situation today is unfavorable and sometimes dangerous for humans. Therefore, even healthy people Various pathologies arise that can cause irreparable harm to the body.

IN medical practice There are cases where the cause of fetal hypoxia was genetic inheritance. Therefore, if your closest relatives have a genetic predisposition, then you should carry out preventive actions and regularly monitor the child’s condition.

Fetal hypoxia: consequences for the child

Acute hypoxia can lead to serious complications. Therefore, in in this case Constant supervision of specialists is required. Moreover, when pathology is detected, prompt, timely health care, which can eliminate the adverse effects of the disease.

The severity of the consequences depends on the cause of fetal hypoxia, as well as on the duration of exposure to the provoking factor. Ignoring symptoms or delayed treatment always leads to an unfavorable outcome.

Oxygen starvation of the fetus, which occurs at the very beginning of pregnancy, can provoke developmental delays in the baby and problems with brain development. Hypoxia in the 2nd trimester leads to pathology of the central nervous system or problems with the baby’s adaptation. Chronic form pathology can lead to the death of a child, so adequate treatment is necessary.

Fetal hypoxia during childbirth, as a rule, is sharp character. Almost every newborn baby experiences a lack of oxygen during delivery, which is normal occurrence. A few seconds after birth, the baby begins to breathe on its own, so a moderate lack of oxygen does not cause any serious consequences.

Labor hypoxia can be very dangerous for a newborn, especially with complications such as bleeding in the woman in labor or infection in the child's body. Moreover, the disease can provoke premature birth. A premature babies susceptible various pathologies, and may not survive. Fetal asphyxia can occur with premature placental abruption, single or multiple entanglement with the umbilical cord.

Prevention of fetal hypoxia allows you to eliminate all unfavorable factors that provoke pathology. To do this, you need to lead an active lifestyle, walk in the fresh air. Walks in the fresh air should last 3-4 hours every day. Frequent ventilation of the apartment or house is also not allowed. Pregnant women should be excluded from staying in stuffy rooms that are not ventilated.

In addition, it is necessary to exclude a pregnant woman from staying in crowded places. For example, in public transport, entertainment institutions. They are dangerous for women because other people can be carriers of dangerous diseases.

It is also necessary to exercise daily physical therapy. Doctors recommend that pregnant women perform special breathing exercises, which increase the flow of oxygen to the child and also improve blood circulation. From the very beginning of pregnancy you need to adhere to proper nutrition and eliminate overeating to avoid pathological increase weight, as it can cause serious complications.

Controlling your weight and health is key normal course pregnancy and exclusion of fetal hypoxia. Moreover, it is imperative to see a gynecologist and not miss a routine examination. Timely identification of signs of hypoxia allows you to completely avoid the serious consequences of the disease. It is important to take blood and urine tests and undergo routine examinations every trimester.

Methods for treating fetal hypoxia

Fetal hypoxia in late stages requires constant monitoring by specialists. The acute form of the pathology requires urgent hospitalization in hospital. In this case, medical assistance should be provided already during the transportation of a pregnant woman to a health care facility. It includes inhalation, which contains a special moistened oxygen mixture, as well as intravenous injection of drugs containing glucose and ascorbic acid.

Antispasmodic drugs, beta-agonists or Cordiamin can also be administered intravenously. Such measures can stabilize the condition of the patient and her child. When fetal hypoxia manifests itself at the time of birth, the cause of the pathology should be immediately eliminated. If this cannot be achieved, then a decision is made to operative delivery or caesarean section.

The chronic form of the disease is treated, as a rule, in a hospital setting. Treatment is aimed at improving uteroplacental circulation and normalizing the pregnant woman’s metabolism. To achieve this, the following physiotherapeutic procedures are performed:

• inductothermy, diathermy;
• intravenous injections of glucose medicines;
• ultraviolet irradiation;

Sometimes complex treatment is necessary to eliminate the pathology. It stabilizes the health of the mother in labor and helps eliminate the cause and symptoms of the disease. Treatment of fetal hypoxia should only be carried out under medical supervision. Self-medication is strictly prohibited, as it can lead to life-threatening consequences for both the expectant mother and the child. Apply folk remedies only after consultation with your doctor.

Oxygen starvation of the baby in the womb is treated with drugs such as Curantil, Actovegin, Trental. Taking medications can be combined with oxygen cocktails, which saturate the blood of a pregnant woman with oxygen. Also, the method of treatment directly depends on the presence or absence of other diseases in the pregnant woman. Yes, if there is increased tone uterus, then the doctor prescribes medications such as No-shpa, Magnesia or Ginipral.

When children are born with asphyxia or hypoxia, they are urgently placed in intensive care under an oxygen dome. This requires special and more long term care. In some cases, immediate treatment may be required for the newborn baby. Therefore, the sooner the pathology is identified, the better, both for the newborn baby and for the mother in labor.

Fetal hypoxia, what kind of phenomenon this is, is known to many expectant mothers. Oxygen starvation is a diagnosis that “scares” many pregnant women. And often this diagnosis is placed without reason, and useless treatment is prescribed. Let's decide how to determine fetal hypoxia, with the help of what studies and guided by what symptoms.

The expectant mother herself may suspect something is wrong in the second half of pregnancy, when she begins to feel the baby’s movements. You need to monitor the frequency of movements very carefully. There should be at least 10 of them per day, meaning at least 10 episodes. For example, a child moved for a couple of minutes - this is one episode. Then an hour later, a couple more minutes - the second episode, etc. There is an opinion that an increase in movements, as well as the so-called “hiccups” of a child, are symptoms of fetal hypoxia, but doctors say that it is much more indicative, on the contrary, a decrease in the number of movements and in general their absence.

If a pathology is suspected, a woman is recommended to perform a CTG - this is an absolutely painless procedure in which the fetal heartbeat is recorded using a sensor. An experienced specialist who has done the decoding will be able to say exactly how the child feels. CTG is usually done not only during pregnancy and if hypoxia is suspected, but also as a planned procedure during childbirth.

Another way to monitor the work of the heart and, in general, the blood supply in the placenta and umbilical cord is Doppler ultrasound. This procedure is performed using equipment for conventional ultrasound, and lasts approximately the same.

A doctor who listens to it through the abdominal wall using an obstetric stethoscope can also suspect something is wrong based on the heart rate. A muffled heartbeat occurs only if the placenta is located along the anterior wall. By the heartbeat, you can determine in what position the fetus is in the uterus, whether it is alone there (once in this way women were diagnosed multiple pregnancy). The heartbeat begins to be clearly heard through the abdominal wall from the second half of pregnancy. But even at the end of it, you are unlikely to be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat on your own using a phonendoscope. A sharp decrease in heart rate is also a sign of fetal hypoxia. Fortunately, the doctor listens to the baby’s heart at every woman’s visit, so a chronic process can be suspected at an early stage.

In addition, doctors pay attention to ultrasound findings. Pathologies of the placenta can indirectly speak of hypoxia - its thickness is too large or, on the contrary, too small for the term, as well as its detachment and premature maturation. With such diagnoses, women are often admitted to a hospital for preventive purposes.

Also, fetal hypoxia gives symptoms in the case of maternal preeclampsia, diabetes mellitus, severe cough(especially with whooping cough), bronchial asthma, with a long stay in a stuffy room, lying on your back (the vena cava is compressed), etc.

The consequences of fetal hypoxia vary depending on whether the condition is acute or chronic. Let's say, when premature ripening placenta or a woman smoking during pregnancy, the fetus regularly lacks oxygen, but this lack is not so obvious as to cause a fatal blow. Children who suffer from hypoxia in utero for a long time are often born weak, with small height and weight, even if they are born to term. Acute hypoxia is much more severe. For example, with complete premature placental abruption, the fetus can die from lack of oxygen in a few minutes. When placental abruption occurs, the connection between the maternal and child organisms is disrupted. In case of acute hypoxia, an urgent cesarean section is necessary. This is the only way to save the child.

And if it is sometimes impossible to prevent acute fetal hypoxia, then chronic fetal hypoxia can be successfully combated. Firstly, you need to get rid of bad habits and spend as much time in the fresh air as possible. Secondly, visit your doctor regularly and do everything necessary tests and examinations at the right time. Thirdly, ensure that your diet contains enough iron-rich foods (to avoid iron deficiency anemia – common cause chronic fetal hypoxia). And fourthly, do not forget to tell your doctor about any respiratory diseases you have and other chronic diseases of various body systems, if any.

Fetal hypoxia is an acute or chronic lack of oxygen resulting from impaired functioning of the placenta ( children's place). The placenta is the main organ that connects the body developing fetus with the mother's body. Through blood vessels blood flows through the placenta, saturated with oxygen and nutrients. Lungs of a child during the period intrauterine development filled with liquid, so the fetus cannot breathe on its own and receives the oxygen necessary for growth and life through the general bloodstream.

If there are pathologies in the work or structure of the placenta, the movement of blood through its vessels is disrupted, and oxygen starvation occurs, which in medicine is called “hypoxia.” Hypoxia is dangerous due to its consequences, which may include heart and vascular diseases, neurological pathologies, and diseases of the hematopoietic system. The most dangerous consequence of acute hypoxia is fetal death the fetus, therefore it is important to undergo examinations and tests prescribed by the doctor on time, which will help identify the signs and symptoms of the existing pathology.

Reasons that may cause intrauterine hypoxia there is a lot of fruit. They can be divided into two groups:

• irreversible causes associated with disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, abnormal course of pregnancy and complications arising during gestation;
• reversible causes ( Not correct image life and non-compliance with the recommendations of the doctor leading the pregnancy), which can be eliminated independently.

Almost 30% of cases of chronic fetal hypoxia result from insufficient attentive attitude to the regimen, lifestyle and doctor’s recommendations. Rare, short walks, unbalanced diet, abuse harmful products, stress - all this can provoke oxygen starvation. Eliminating these factors is quite simple, but the expectant mother must understand that the child’s body continues to develop until the 36th week of pregnancy, so failure to comply with the regimen at any stage can cause the onset of irreversible processes.

For example, the cardiovascular system The fetus begins to develop at 5-6 weeks, and if during this period the woman did not walk much, smoked or ate poorly, the consequences may be congenital heart defects and vascular diseases.

Among the others negative factors that women can control on their own, doctors highlight:

• use of potent drugs without prescription from a specialist;
• drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco;
• non-compliance with the work and rest schedule;
• sexual contacts (if they were prohibited by a doctor).

Infectious diseases suffered during pregnancy (especially in the early stages) can also affect the functioning of the vascular system of the placenta and the transport of oxygen to fetal tissues. TO infectious diseases include not only diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the genitourinary system, but also infectious gastritis, as well as genital infections.

Other causes of hypoxia are listed in the table below.

Pathological causes (diseases or organ dysfunctions)	Irreversible physiological causes
Hypertension, hypotension (including isolated forms) and other pathologies of the heart and blood vessels	Multiple pregnancy
Endocrine diseases	Severe toxicosis with frequent bouts of vomiting and nausea
Chronic pathologies of the bronchopulmonary system	Polyhydramnios
Risk of miscarriage	Vegetative-vascular disorders
Various forms of anemia	Obesity
Rhesus conflict between mother and fetus (in in rare cases The cause of hypoxia may be a blood type mismatch)	History of frozen pregnancy
	Mother's age under 18 or over 40 years

Consequences of chronic hypoxia for a child

Chronic oxygen deprivation is diagnosed less frequently than acute form, since in most cases a constant lack of oxygen develops only if a woman has an irresponsible attitude towards pregnancy. If a woman walks a lot, eats well, takes care of her health and follows all the recommendations of a specialist, hypoxia usually does not develop. Even if the expectant mother has health problems, the doctor will prescribe medication correction, including drugs to improve blood circulation in the placenta and improve metabolic processes in the fetal tissues.

The consequences of chronic fetal hypoxia are usually detected immediately after birth. The baby may be smaller and smaller than other babies born at this stage. The weight deficit can range from 10% to 30%. Children experiencing constant lack of oxygen during intrauterine growth, do not adapt well to conditions environment, they have poorly developed vital reflexes (grasping, sucking, etc.). Thermoregulation in such children is often impaired, so the baby's extremities may remain cold, even if socks are put on the legs and the child is wrapped in a warm blanket.

The most commonly diagnosed disease is anemia. With this pathology, the child looks pale, and blue discoloration may appear in the area of ​​the nasolabial triangle. Other symptoms of pathology in infancy include:

• poor appetite;
• moodiness;
• frequent bouts of crying;
• sleep disorders.

Poor appetite coupled with low birth weight can lead to delays in physical and intellectual development, as well as diseases that develop due to a lack of certain useful substances. For example, magnesium deficiency can cause problems with the heart, seizures and other neurological pathologies. Inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D increases the risk of rickets, and deficiency ascorbic acid can lead to diseases of the hematopoietic system.

Important! Chronic fetal hypoxia during pregnancy negatively affects immune system child: his resistance to infectious diseases decreases, and respiratory infections occur in a more severe form than in ordinary children.

How dangerous is acute hypoxia?

Acute lack of oxygen occurs most often during labor. The cause may be the application of obstetric forceps, a prolonged period of pushing, or a discrepancy between the sizes of the mother’s pelvis and the fetal head. If acute hypoxia was diagnosed during pregnancy, the woman is immediately hospitalized in the pregnancy pathology department, since in an outpatient setting it is not possible to constantly monitor the condition and heartbeat of the fetus.

One of the most serious and dangerous consequences of acute lack of oxygen is pregnancy fading (cessation of growth and development). Pathology can occur at any stage, but the most dangerous period is considered to be from 4 to 6 weeks and from 8 to 12. It is not always possible to detect freezing immediately - it happens that a woman carries a dead child for several weeks.

You can suspect freezing at an appointment with a gynecologist, who always listens to the heartbeat using an obstetric stethoscope. If heart contractions cannot be heard, the doctor will send the woman for an ultrasound, which can reveal a discrepancy between the size of the fetus and the gestational age. After this, the woman will be assigned artificial interruption pregnancy (curettage or artificial birth– depending on the stage of pregnancy).

Intrauterine pneumonia

Pneumonia in a fetus can develop from inhalation of meconium, the original feces. If this happens immediately before birth, the chances of saving the newborn will be maximum. Immediately after birth, the baby will be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit or intensive care unit. In some cases it may be necessary artificial ventilation lungs using a ventilator. After cupping acute process the child will be transferred to a children's hospital.

Important! Pneumonia of newborns is an extremely dangerous pathology with a high percentage of fatal cases, so the expectant mother must take all measures to ensure sufficient oxygen supply and reduce the risk of meconium entering the fetus’s lungs.

Intestinal necrosis

A very dangerous pathology that requires urgent surgical intervention. Intestinal necrosis is the death of tissue in a certain part of the large or small intestine as a result of insufficient oxygen supply to the cells of the organ. Even if doctors manage to save the child’s life, there is a high probability that feces you will have to install a stoma and colostomy bag.

Important! The mortality rate of newborns from this pathology reaches 71%. In most cases, total necrosis begins to develop after an infarction of the mesentery - the ligament connecting back wall peritoneum with intestinal tube. If the pathology begins to develop before 28 weeks of pregnancy, there is practically no chance of saving the baby.

Pathologies of the nervous system

The most common consequence acute oxygen starvation, which manifests itself after the birth of a child - hydrocephalus (swelling of the brain). In most cases, the consequences of the disease are cerebral palsy (cerebral palsy) and spastic tetraparesis - limited mobility of muscle structures due to constant spasticity.

With severe damage to the nervous system, coma can be a consequence of hypoxia. The prognosis for life in this case is extremely unfavorable, since almost 90% of cases of comatose lesions are infancy ends with the death of a child.

Premature birth

If a child is diagnosed with acute hypoxia, the doctor may decide on the need for emergency delivery, despite the stage of pregnancy. If the gestational age of the fetus is more than 30 weeks, the risks are not as serious, but exclude the possibility dangerous pathologies And severe forms developmental delay is not possible. If an emergency caesarean section is performed at less than 28-30 weeks, the baby will be born with extreme prematurity, which is fraught with the following pathologies:

• intellectual development disorder;
• malformations of the heart muscle;
• neurological diseases (including cerebral palsy);
• blindness and hearing loss.

Important! Only 20% of babies born before 28 weeks survive, and most have severe congenital diseases that affect the child’s quality of life.

Video - Fetal hypoxia: causes and consequences

Future consequences

Experts believe that if a child survives the first month (the newborn period) and no consequences of hypoxia are found in him, the likelihood of their development in the future is quite small. However, this does not mean that in the future pathological symptoms will not show up at all. Most often, the consequences relate to behavioral characteristics. Such children are usually hyperactive, irritable, and can show causeless aggression towards peers, teachers, and kindergarten teachers.

They may have trouble sleeping. Many of these children adolescence suffer from nocturnal enuresis. Treatment of the pathology, as a rule, gives minor improvements, but complete recovery is achieved only by the age of 12-15, and in some children this disorder persists in a mild form for life.

The consequences of insufficient oxygen supply during the period of intrauterine growth and development can be very serious (including death and disability), so a woman must take her pregnancy very seriously. Long walks in the fresh air - required condition at any time. They will help not only prevent oxygen starvation of the fetus, but also improve blood circulation, the state of the mother’s nervous system, and also alleviate the manifestations of toxicosis. If your health does not allow you to go for a long walk, you can simply sit on a bench in a park or on the shore of a lake, if conditions permit.

The diet should contain a sufficient amount of vegetables, herbs, berries and seasonal fruits. Meat, fish, nuts, and dairy products should form the basis of the diet. Drinks on the table must include freshly squeezed juices from vegetables and fruits, compotes, fruit drinks, herbal teas, decoctions of rose hips and other berries. It is better to reduce tea consumption, and avoid coffee altogether.

Alcoholic drinks and cigarettes are strictly prohibited. The use of any medications must be coordinated with your doctor, since even harmless herbal preparations may have an effect on the fetus.

Fetal hypoxia is a serious condition that can lead to irreversible consequences and the death of the baby. Even if the child does not have any abnormalities after birth, do not forget that acute hypoxia increases the risk of sudden infant death(up to 4-6 months), so it is important that the child is constantly monitored, especially during night sleep. Very often, such children are diagnosed with perinatal damage to the central nervous system, so before three years old examination by specialized specialists (neurologist) will be prescribed more often than for healthy children. If a child is prescribed treatment with hopatenic acid drugs (Pantogam), you should not refuse: the consequences of refusing treatment may be more serious than possible side effects from therapy.

Throughout pregnancy, the expectant mother lives in hope that her baby will be born healthy. But sometimes something goes wrong, and the incomprehensible diagnosis of “hypoxia”, given to the baby even before birth, completely throws the woman off balance. However, in most cases, help qualified specialists, adequate treatment and the mother’s confident attitude can direct the development of the situation in a positive direction. Read the article about the symptoms, consequences and prevention of fetal hypoxia.

The term “hypoxia” means oxygen deficiency; therefore, the diagnosis “intrauterine fetal hypoxia” indicates that the unborn child is in dire need of this valuable gas. The baby’s respiratory organs, which are in the growth stage, have nowhere to get oxygen from, and if they have already formed by the time hypoxia develops, they are not able to fully function.

Intrauterine fetal hypoxia is a severe pathology, which, under certain circumstances, manifests itself not only in the first trimester, but also on the eve of childbirth. Moreover, lack of oxygen sometimes becomes a real obstacle to a successful delivery.

Fetal hypoxia: types

Features of the flow pathological condition gave grounds to divide it into two types.

Chronic fetal hypoxia

This diagnosis hides the prolonged existence of the fetus in conditions of oxygen deficiency. This condition develops if a pregnant woman for some reason did not register on time (and, naturally, was deprived medical supervision) or due to untimely detection and treatment of pathology. The fetus may remain in this state for several days, weeks or months.

The consequences of this type of hypoxia for the fetus at the beginning of gestation are all kinds of disorders in the development of organ systems, as well as a delay in the formation of the embryo as a whole. Chronic disorders in late pregnancy threaten even more dangerous complications for the baby. Among them:

• serious disorders of the central nervous system;
• anomalies of physical ontogenesis;
• growth retardation;
• low ability of adaptation to the outside world in a newborn;
• refusal to eat, anxiety and nervous system disorders in the infant.

Acute fetal hypoxia

This type of disorder is characterized by sudden development and can occur during gestation, as well as during labor. This disorder cannot be corrected through therapeutic interventions because it lasts only a few minutes or a limited number of hours. The pregnant woman will immediately have to undergo an emergency delivery, otherwise the consequences of such fetal hypoxia for the child will be the most unfavorable - the slightest delay will cost him his life. Acute and prolonged lack of oxygen irreversibly suppresses the activity of the fetal brain and becomes the result of intrauterine asphyxia.

Even if the baby is removed in time, there will be no complete confidence in his good health. Sometimes the consequences of hypoxia and asphyxia of the fetus leave the child for 5–6 years of his life. In other cases, a complex of internal disorders caused by hypoxia makes the child dependent on constant treatment for the rest of his life.

Why is fetal hypoxia dangerous?

Pathology can cause all sorts of diseases in a child. We list the most serious and severe consequences pathologies:

1. Cardinal disturbances in the functioning of the brain.
2. Accumulation of fluid in the brain tissue.
3. Dropsy of the brain.
4. Epilepsy.
5. Anomalies in the development of internal organs.
6. Brain hemorrhage.
7. Cerebral palsy.

Intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus during pregnancy with an unfortunate combination of circumstances dooms children to disability, retardation in mental development And poor ability adapt to society.

Causes of fetal hypoxia

There are many factors that can somehow “block” the access of a valuable substance to the fetus. Chronic hypoxia can begin:

• diseases of women related to the respiratory, hematopoietic and cardiovascular systems;
• pathologies of fetal development (infections, incompatibility with the mother for Rh blood);
• pathological location of the umbilical cord (for example, it fell out, was pinched due to fetal presentation, tied in a knot), which interferes with blood flow;
• severe and prolonged course of toxicosis;
• excessive volume of amniotic fluid;
• pregnancy with two or more fetuses;
• post-term pregnancy;
• being pregnant under stressful conditions;
• depression in the expectant mother (being depressed, the woman breathes less often, so the baby does not breathe enough with her);
• tight umbilical cord entanglement around the baby's neck;
• placental abruption, rapid or too long labor;
• inappropriate anesthesia during childbirth.

Hypoxia of the fetus and newborn

The dangerous factors that we discussed above can cause not only internal violation, but also asphyxia of the baby at the time of birth. A child is considered a newborn within 7 days after birth. Now all the organs of a small person undergo the so-called strength test. If before the birth of the baby the mother was diagnosed with hypoxia, the same trouble can await the baby after birth.

When a child mother's womb he is suffocating, he is trying with all his might to make up for this deficiency, so he begins to breathe through the hole in the glottis. Consequently, foreign substances penetrate there in the form of mucus, blood and amniotic fluid, which during childbirth will clog the child’s respiratory organs and cause asphyxia - in other words, they will suffocate the baby. That is why such children are monitored very closely in the first days of their lives.

Based on severity, fetal hypoxia is divided into moderate and severe. The child’s condition is assessed after birth, based on standard Apgar scores. The scale consists of five indicators, each of which is given a score from 0 to 2 points.

When the baby is just born, his condition is immediately subjected to a general assessment, and after 5 minutes he is examined again. If a child “scores” from 8 to 10 points, he is considered healthy, that is, he did not experience hypoxia during childbirth. A score of 4 - 7 points indicates moderate hypoxia, and indicators of 0 - 3 points give doctors reason to talk about severe hypoxia and suffocation of the newborn.

Symptoms of fetal hypoxia

It is impossible to diagnose fetal hypoxia in the early stages of pregnancy without special equipment (Doppler and ultrasound) - the fetus is still very small, so it cannot “tell” the mother how bad it is.

Regular and unscheduled examinations are an effective way out of the situation. Reason to visit antenatal clinic chronic diseases pregnant woman and her unsatisfactory health.

As the belly grows, the mother must constantly monitor the baby’s movements. The 10-movement technique will help a woman suspect the development of pathology on her own. It consists of the following: upon waking up in the morning, the mother begins to count how many times her baby moves during the day. The movements are divided into series and there should be at least 10 such series per day. For example, you feel the baby “knocking” inside and this continues for 1 - 2 minutes - this is the first series, after a while the movements are repeated - the second series and so on. If there are less than 10 such series, this is a clear sign fetal hypoxia.

Acute intrauterine hypoxia is indicated by turbidity of the amniotic fluid, which is determined using laboratory analysis.

How to determine fetal hypoxia

At the heart of everything effective ways diagnostic lies full examination the expectant mother by a doctor during a scheduled or unscheduled examination. The gynecologist will listen to the fetal heartbeat and determine its frequency. A baby’s slow heartbeat is a reason for additional examination.

To study heartbeat more accurately, they use the method of cardiotocography - ECG for the fetus.

Signs of fetal hypoxia according to CTG are:

• the number of heart beats is reduced or absent altogether;
• excessively rapid heartbeat of the child against the background of his own movements and involuntary tone of the uterus.

Another effective one diagnostic method hypoxia - intrauterine (Doppler) ultrasound examination, through which the overall picture of blood flow in the uterus is assessed. Also, the diagnostician will certainly testify to fetal hypoxia on a regular ultrasound if he detects abnormalities in the development of the placenta, its too rapid formation or aging, or excessively thin or thick walls.

In addition, blood tests will help confirm the presence of hypoxia. Pathology will be indicated high level the content of enzymes in the blood, fat oxidation products, etc.

Treatment of fetal hypoxia

One can hope to get rid of the pathology if oxygen deficiency was detected in a timely manner and the patient does not have indications for emergency delivery through cesarean section.

What to do in case of fetal hypoxia worries every pregnant woman who has heard such a diagnosis. The mother is required to be calm and willing to cooperate with the attending physician in everything. To begin with, doctors will try to block the influence of the disease or condition of the mother, which served as an impetus for the development of the complication.

The severity of oxygen deprivation determines whether the treatment will be inpatient or outpatient. Main points therapeutic program are the following conditions:

1. Calmness and bed rest.
2. Taking medications that stimulate unhindered access of oxygen to the child.
3. Drinking oxygenated water.

Fetal hypoxia and childbirth

Fetal hypoxia can manifest itself not only in late pregnancy, but also directly during childbirth. When a baby is born, doctors regularly evaluate the baby's heartbeat pattern. A cause for concern is the development of increased or slower heart activity.

The severity of bradycardia and tachycardia may change during childbirth. At the beginning of labor, oxygen deficiency in the fetus is indicated by bradycardia of about 100 beats per minute, and in the second period - 98 beats. With hypoxia, as a reaction to each contraction, a decrease in the heart rate up to 50 times per minute is observed.

How to avoid fetal hypoxia

Responsibility for the likelihood of developing intrauterine oxygen starvation in a child largely lies with his mother. To avoid this serious complication During pregnancy, a woman should lead the most correct lifestyle possible. Let us briefly list the main measures to prevent fetal hypoxia during pregnancy. Briefly, because you most likely won’t learn anything new - everyone knows about the rules of a healthy lifestyle. So, the expectant mother needs:

• to part with once and for all bad habits(for example, forget what cigarettes are);
• spend a lot of time outdoors. remember, that perfect place for walking, it is located away from busy roads;
• create a useful and balanced diet with the inevitable presence of iron-containing products;
• come to all scheduled examinations, as well as visit antenatal clinic unscheduled if something bothers you;
• inform the gynecologist about all chronic diseases;
• monitor the quality of your breathing. If any appear warning signs(for example, shortness of breath), immediately consult a doctor for clarification of the situation;
• with the permission of the doctor, master the complex breathing exercises and perform it regularly;
• get enough sleep and rest during the day.

No matter how strange it may sound, during pregnancy a woman should think and care not about the baby growing inside her, but about herself. The expectant mother, in fact, is a mirror that projects all the features of her well-being onto the fetus. The healthier a woman is, the more favorable conditions her baby will have for growth and development. Be healthy!