Percentiles of oxygen saturations in healthy term newborns in the first minutes of life

The aim of this study was to establish the reference values of preductal oxygen saturation (SpO₂) in healthy infants immediately after birth. SpO₂ recordings of 200 term neonates (vaginal group;n=150 and cesarean group;n=50) with regular respiratory pattern were evaluated. The median SpO₂ values in the first, fifth and tenth minutes were 71, 92, and 98% in vaginal deliveries and 70, 79, and 96% in cesarean deliveries, respectively. SpO₂ was significantly lower in the cesarean group at any time after the first minute of life (p<0.0001). The time needed to reach a SpO₂>90% was three times longer in cesarean deliveries. Healthy neonates are poorly saturated immediately after birth. The duration to reach a SpO₂>90% was longer in infants born by cesarean deliveries. This study was supported by The Marmara University Scientific Research Committee (SAG-TUS-200906-0165). Presented as a poster in Hot Topics in Neonatology 2006, Washington, DC, 2–5 December 2006.