NEONATAL HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA A New Index of Antepartum‐Intrapartum Fetal Stress?

Abstract

The 95th percentile value of cord serum triglyceride concentration in 82 consecutively live born infants was found to be 0.79 mmol/l. This level was arbitrarily used to define neonatal hypertriglyceridemia. A comparison between 78 normotriglyceridemic and 61 hypertriglyceridemic newborn infants showed a significant association between elevated cord serum triglyceride concentration and insufficiency of the placenta, fetal bradycardia, meconium-stained amniotic fluid and 1 min Apgar score .ltoreq. 7. A significantly P < 0.001) greater number of infants with 1 or several of these 4 factors, indicating antepartum and/or intrapartum fetal stress were hypertriglyceridemic at birth. Estimation of cord serum triglyceride which is easy and inexpensive might be of value for a more complete evaluation of the newborn infant, and can serve as a supplement to the Apgar Score system.