To assess the usefulness of cord blood tests in diagnosing ABO-haemolytic disease of the newborn (ABO-HDN), 132 term, adequate for gestational age (AGA) neonates were evaluated. The tests studied and their significant results were: quantitative elution test (greater than or equal to 1/16), direct Coombs test (positive), bilirubin concentration (greater than or equal to 4 mg/dl). In none of the 56 O+ newborn infants delivered by O+ women were the results of any test positive. Of the 76 A+ and B+ newborn infants delivered by O+ women, 17 (22%) developed ABO-HDN. When the combined result of any two tests was positive, the sensitivity, the specificity and the positive predictive accuracy for the diagnosis of ABO-HDN was higher than for any one of the isolated tests. The probability that ABO-HDN was present when the results of at least two cord blood tests were positive was 70%, and the probability that ABO-HDN was not present when less than two cord blood tests gave positive results was 93%. It is suggested that the combination of quantitative elution test, bilirubin concentration and direct Coombs test in the cord blood is useful for an early diagnosis of ABO-HDN.

Eighteen newborn infants, gestational age between 36 and 42 weeks with birth asphyxia were compared with 23 normal newborn infants to determine serum cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in cord blood and in venous blood samples collected 12-18 hours after birth. Both groups were similar in gestational age, birthweight, proportion of small for gestational age and large for gestational age infants, proportion of infants delivered by cesarean section with and without labor, and proportion of mothers with pre-eclampsia. There was no antenatal exposure to corticosteroid. The asphyxiated newborn infants had a significantly higher mean cord serum level of cortisol, and a significantly lower mean cord serum level of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate than the control group. Mean serum cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels collected 12-18 hours after birth were similar between both groups. It is suggested that elevated cord serum level of cortisol is related to birth asphyxia stress stimulating the adrenal definitive zone, and the low cord serum level of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is secondary to a transient hypoxemic-ischemic insult to the adrenal fetal zone.

The nonspecific presentation of neonatal sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome preceding septic shock delay the early diagnosis of septic shock and increase its mortality rate. Early diagnosis involves suspecting septic shock in every newborn with tachycardia, respiratory distress, difficult feeding, altered tonus and skin coloration, tachypnea and reduced perfusion, specially in case of maternal peripartum infection, chorioamnionitis or long-term membranes rupture. This article aims to review current knowledge on neonatal period peculiarities , fetal circulation dynamics, and the pregnancy age variable. Newborn septic shock is not just a small adult shock. In the newborn, the septic shock is predominantly cold and characterized by reduced cardiac output and increased systemic vascular resistance (vasoconstriction). Time is fundamental for septic shock reversion. The indexed-databases literature review provides subside for the newborn management.