Objective: To study the effect of a single dose of sodium bicarbonate given during neonatal resuscitation at birth on the acid-base status on the first day of life.
Setting: Tertiary care Level III NICU.
Study design: A total of 55 consecutively born asphyxiated neonates continuing to receive positive pressure ventilation at 5 minutes of life were randomized to receive either 4 ml/kg (1.8 meq/kg) of sodium bicarbonate or 5% dextrose.
Results: The mean pH, base deficit and PaCO(2) were similar between the Base group and the Control group for the first 24 hours of life. The number of babies with persistent metabolic acidosis at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours were comparable between the two groups.
Conclusion: Sodium bicarbonate given during neonatal resuscitation did not change the acid-base status in the first 24 hours of life.