Table 1 Patients’ characteristics.

Gestational Age (weeks, mean ± s)

38 ± 2

39 ± 2

>0.05

Gender (% male/female)

53/47

54/46

>0.05

Birth Weight (g ± s)

3200 ± 500

3300 ± 600

>0.05

Type of delivery (% vaginal/C-section)

79/21

44/56

<0.01

Apgar 1 (median (min–max))

10 (9–10)

1 (0–5)

<0.01

Apgar 5 (median (min–max))

10 (10–10)

3 (0–8)

<0.01

Cord pH (mean ± s)

7.31 ± 0.06

6.8 ± 1.0

<0.01

Cord BE (mEq L⁻¹, mean ± s)

−2.00 ± 0.04

−16 ± 7

<0.01

Cord lactate (mmol L⁻¹, mean ± s)

4.5 ± 1.6

14 ± 4

<0.01

Positive pressure ventilation (% Yes/No)

0/100

98/2

<0.01

O₂>21% (% Yes/No)

0/100

97/3

<0.01

Cardiac Massage (% Yes/No)

0/100

56/44

<0.01

Adrenalin (% Yes/No)

0/100

49/51

<0.01