Introduction: The aim of our study was to determine lipid peroxidation products and antioxidant enzyme activity in umbilical cord blood of small for gestational age (SGA) neonates.
Materials and methods: Umbilical cord arterial blood samples were collected from 21-term singleton SGA newborn infants and 21 age- and sex-matched appropriate for gestational age (AGA) term neonates prospectively born by elective cesarean section for determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) as a marker of lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase (SOD) for antioxidant activity.
Results: MDA levels were increased (5.20 vs. 3.52 nmol/mL; p < 0.001), while levels of SOD (6.24 vs. 8.99 U/mL; p < 0.01) were decreased in SGA neonates when compared with AGA newborn infants.
Conclusions: Elevated MDA levels and decreased SOD activity in umbilical cord blood may show the possibility of insufficient protective mechanisms against increased oxidative stress in SGA neonates born by cesarean section.
Keywords: Oxidative stress; cesarean section; malondialdehyde; small for gestational age; superoxide dismutase.