Intrapartum infusion of aqueous glucose solution, transplacental hyponatraemia and risk of neonatal jaundice.

Cord serum sodium levels in three groups of 278 singleton infants, born vaginally at term, were correlated with the incidence of jaundice (serum bilirubin greater than or equal to 85 mumol/1) in the first 3 days of life. Of the 278 infants, 87 were born to mothers who were given infusions of 5% or 10% glucose in water during labour (group I), 90 were born to mothers who received glucose solution as a vehicle for oxytocin (group II), and 101 to mothers who did not receive any intravenous fluid therapy (control group). Jaundice was seen significantly more frequently in groups I (28/87, 32%) and II infants (30/90, 33%) than in the control group (12/101, 12%) (P less than 0.01), but when analysed in relation to cord serum sodium levels, the prevalence of jaundice in the normonatraemic infants (serum sodium greater than or equal to 131 mmol/1) was similar in the three groups. On the other hand, in groups I and II jaundice occurred about 3.5 times more frequently in the hyponatraemic infants [group I (17/32, 53%) and II (20/39, 51%)] than in the normonatraemic infants (P less than 0.01). The difference was not associated with any other perinatal or neonatal characteristic.