Abstract
Background: Oxidative stress injury has been linked with some clinical conditions in newborn. This cannot be readily measured. Measuring placenta and birth weight along with other features may help in predicting likelihood of oxidative stress injury babies have suffered. Aim : to measure birth and placenta weight of new born babies as well as determining cord blood total antioxidant status and malondialdehyde (product of oxidant injury) Methods: Study site was labour ward of Ladoke Akintola University of Teachnology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria. Sixty four term newborn babies were recruited into the study. Plasma extracted from cord blood of subjects was used for the laboratory determination of total antioxidant status, malondialdehyde and uric acid. Total antioxidant status and malondialdehyde were measured using methods of Koracevic et al and Satoh et al respectively. Uric acid was measured by enzymatic method. Results: There were positive correlations between placenta weight and TAS(r=0.115;p>0.05), between placenta weight and Uric acid(r=0.075;p>0.05), between birth weight and TAS(r= 0.233,p=0.064), between birth weight and Uric acid(r=0.172;p>0.05). There were significant negative correlations between placenta weight and MDA(r=-0.25;p<0.05),between birth weight and MDA(r=-0.56;p<0.05). Conclusion: The birth weight of the baby as well as weight of the placenta is negatively correlated significantly with cord blood oxidative stress