Birth is one of the most critical moments in a person’s life. During this transition, a baby moves from receiving oxygen through the umbilical cord to breathing on their own. Most of the time this shift happens smoothly, but when something goes wrong the consequences can be devastating.
We studied over 35,000 babies born in Sweden between 1997 and 2012, tracking their health records for up to 20 years. We found that babies with an umbilical cord pH below 7.05 (suggesting they didn’t get enough oxygen during the delivery) faced a higher risk of death and disabilities within the first two decades of life.
