Effect of Delivery Time on Umbilical Cord Blood Gas Parameters in Cesarean Sections Under General and Spinal Anesthesia

This prospective, observational study will be conducted at a single tertiary care center and aims to investigate the relationship between neonatal delivery time and umbilical artery blood gas parameters in elective cesarean sections performed under general or spinal anesthesia. No experimental intervention will be applied, and all procedures will be carried out as part of routine clinical care.

Eligible participants will include adult pregnant women with singleton term pregnancies who are scheduled for elective cesarean delivery. The choice of anesthesia technique (general or spinal anesthesia) will be determined by standard clinical indications and patient preference, independent of study participation. No modification to anesthesia management or surgical technique will be made for the purposes of the study.

Neonatal delivery time will be defined as the interval between uterine incision and complete delivery of the neonate and will be recorded intraoperatively by the surgical team. Immediately after birth, umbilical artery blood samples will be obtained as part of routine neonatal assessment, and blood gas analysis will be performed to determine pH and base excess values.

Data will be collected using standardized case report forms and hospital electronic medical records. All data will be anonymized and coded prior to analysis to ensure participant confidentiality. The primary analyses will assess the association between neonatal delivery time and umbilical artery pH and base excess within each anesthesia group. Secondary analyses will compare blood gas parameters between general and spinal anesthesia groups after controlling for delivery time.

This study is expected to provide clinically relevant information regarding the impact of delivery time on neonatal metabolic status during cesarean delivery and to contribute to optimizing coordination between obstetric and anesthesia teams.

Inclusion criteria

Pregnant women aged 18-40 years Singleton pregnancy at ≥36+6 weeks of gestation Scheduled for elective cesarean section Planned delivery under general or spinal anesthesia Ability to provide written informed consent

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Exclusion criteria

Emergency cesarean section Known fetal anomalies Multiple pregnancy Maternal comorbidities that may affect neonatal outcomes (e.g., diabetes mellitus, hypertension, preeclampsia) Conversion from spinal anesthesia to general anesthesia Failure to obtain umbilical artery blood gas sample or incomplete clinical data