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Schools are an important arena to curb the decline in physical activity (PA) in youth. School-based interventions with accelerometer-measured PA are warranted. This study aimed to increase accelerometer-measured PA in adolescents following a 12-month school-based intervention. Two school-classes of 16–18-year-old Swedish students were allocated to intervention group and control group. Accelerometer-measured PA was gathered at baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-up. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to investigate between-group and within-group differences in mean minutes per day (min/day) of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA) and sedentary time (ST). Fifty-seven students participated (intervention group = 31, control group = 26). At 12-month follow-up, the intervention group performed 5.9 (95% CI: −4.3, 16.2) min/day more in MVPA, 1.8 (95% CI: −17.9, 14.2) min/day less in LPA, and 4.1 (95% CI: −27.3, 19.2) min/day less in ST compared to the control group. Within the intervention group, there was no significant change in PA. Within the control group, LPA decreased (95% CI: −19.6, −0.2, p = 0.044) and ST increased (95% CI: 1.8, 30.8, p = 0.028). Although no between-group differences in PA were statistically significant, the within-group changes may suggest a preventive impact on the decline in PA during adolescence.

This is a confirmatory study that assessed the effects of parent training programs on parental stress in a general population. There is a need to repeat and confirm earlier findings to acquire solid knowledge for policy stakeholders. In a quasi-experimental design, self-reported data were gathered at three occasions from 83 parents of children between the ages from one to ten years. These parents had responded to advertisements of parent training programs, and were matched to a comparison group of 83 parents chosen from a governmental database. Parent training program based upon behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, Adlerian and family system-theories. Parental stress due to incompetence, role restriction, social isolation, spousal relationship problems, and health problems were measured by the Swedish Parenthood Stress Ques- tionnaire that is based on the Parent Stress Index Scale. The data indicated a reduction of stress in the sub-scale of health problems among parents in the intervention group with an effect size of 0.33, however, no other subscale showed the intervention as a significant variable when controlling for confounding variables. This study adds on the accumulated knowledge of supporting interventions for parents. We conclude that parent training programs have a significant effect on the stress components of parental health when implemented in real-life settings.

The study aims to investigate the effects of Parent Training Programs on the mental health of parents with children aged between 1 and 17 in a universal preventive setting. The intervention group included 279 parents who were assigned to five professionally administered interventions, which included 5–10 two-hour sessions; they were then compared to 702 parents in the comparison group without intervention. The improvement in general mental health was statistically significant in the intervention group compared to the comparison group. The findings suggest that evidence-based parent training programs enhance well-being in parents without indicated problems. However further exploration of preventive training programs for parents are needed.

INTRODUCTION: This longitudinal case-controlled study examined the effects of universal parent-focused interventions on parents’ perceived competence in terms of parental efficacy and satisfaction.METHOD: The study sample consisted of parents from northern Sweden in the general population who participated in parent training programmes from 2010 to 2013, and a matched-comparison group. All parents had children aged 0–17. Sense of competence was measured by the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale at pre- and post-intervention and six months after the intervention.RESULTS: The intervention group showed a statistically significant improvement in parental competence compared to the comparison group over time. The intervention itself had a significant effect on parental satisfaction, but the efficacy effect was not sustained when taking into account potential confounders.CONCLUSIONS: Earlier studies indicate that parent training programmes enhance perceived parental competence amongst referred parents. The present study shows that parent training programmes applied in the general population may also enhance perceived parental satisfaction, suggesting that parent training programmes can be an important preventive strategy to enhance parental feelings of satisfaction in the wider population. The results suggest that parents who participate in parent training programmes might have a need to increase parental competence, based on lower scores than the comparison group, both before and after the intervention.

During 1990 and 1991, 9% of all sports injuries that required emergency care at the University Hospital of Umea were caused by floorball. Seventy-eight per cent of the injuries were minor (AIS 1) and 21% were moderate (AIS 2). Sprains of the ankle and knee joints were most frequent, constituting 30% and 11% of all injuries, respectively. Licensed players were affected in 14% of all floorball injuries, and 61% of these injuries occurred during a game. We found no difference in severity or type of injuries between licensed players and recreational players. Our data show that the number of floorball injuries is increasing and that the majority of these injuries are of minor severity.

An island groin flap based on the inferior epigastric vessels was raised in 10 rats in order to monitor simultaneous ischemic changes in arterial blood flow and skin microcirculation induced by electrical stimulation of the feeding artery. A modified laser Doppler perfusion system recorded blood flow in the epigastric artery and in the skin microcirculation of the flap before and for 40 min after the experimentally induced ischemia. Sections of the stimulated segment of the vessel were obtained at the end of the experimental procedure for histological analysis to determine the extent of endothelial changes, if any. Artery blood flow and the flap microcirculation decreased significantly immediately after stimulation, both slowly increasing to prestimulation levels after 30 min. Artery perfusion was quicker than microcirculation to recover to the baseline value, indicating that reperfusion of larger vessels could involve mechanisms fundamentally different from those active in the resolution of ischemia at the capillary level. Histological artery examination revealed no significant endothelial damage at the stimulation site, thus demonstrating that electrical stimulation induces reproducible ischemia without visible endothelial damage. The differential effects on the feeding artery and on capillary perfusion indicate recruitment of several different mechanisms.

Recent studies have proposed that activation of the sensory nervous system after thermal injury induces the release of vasoactive neuropeptides, including tachykinins which contribute to the local inflammatory reaction as well as to the nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord level. Effects of the tachykinins substance P and neurokinin A are mediated by the neurokinin 1 and 2 (NK1, NK2) receptors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the modulatory role of NK1 and NK2 antagonists on edema formation, and on hindpaw withdrawal latency to experimentally asses nociception. Thermal injury was inflicted on the anaesthetized rat by dipping the right hindpaw into hot water at 60°C for 20 s. The amount of edema formation was calculated by measuring the hindpaw volume with a plethysmograph before and during 420 min after scalding. In other studies scalding was inflicted under brief anesthesia, and hindpaw withdrawal latencies (HWL) to mechanical stimulation were recorded before injury and at 180 min after. The effect on edemic reactions of rats treated locally with NK1 and NK2 receptor antagonist were studied, as well as the effect of the same compounds on HWL after intrathecal injection. Scalding induced a progressive edema formation which was reduced significantly in rats treated with local injection of 100 nmol of NK1 and NK2 antagonists 45 min after the injury. The thermally induced inflammation was followed by significant decrease of the latency of hindpaw withdrawal response to mechanical stimulation. Intrathecal injection of 30 nmol of the same drugs 180 min after scalding was followed by significant increase in HWL. The results indicate that SP and NKA contribute to the inflammatory reactions after thermal injury and that the tachykinin receptor antagonists possess the ability to reduce both the local edemic reaction as well as the nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord level.

A model of thermally induced inflammation in the anesthetized rat was used to measure acute microcirculatory reactions after heat exposure. The thermal injury was inflicted by dipping the right hindpaw into hot water at 60° for 20 s. Local blood flow was recorded simultaneously in both hindpaws and continuously by laser Doppler flowmetry before, during and for 2 h after the thermal injury and the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was displayed on a chart recorder. To assess the contribution of the nervous system to the vascular changes seen, neuropeptide antagonists directed toward substance P (SP), neurokinin A (NKA), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were administered. The neurokinin antagonists (NK1, NK2) and the CGRP antagonist (CGRP8 ‐37) were injected via a catheter into the jugular vein. During the first few minutes after thermal injury to the controls, an immediate increase in blood perfusion of about 351% was recorded, followed by a slow decrease of circulation. At 30 min after thermal injury, there was a secondary phase of increased microcirculation of approximately 329%. A slow decline of cutaneous circulation then followed and, after another 30 min, the value stabilized at a level about 100% above the level before injury. Pretreatment with intravenous injections of the NK1 antagonist, NK2 antagonist, and CGRP8 ‐37 attenuated the first phase and almost abolished the secondary phase. No significant change of perfusion was observed on the unscalded paw. The MAP remained at a stable level throughout the experiment and was not affected by the thermal injury or by the administration of the antagonists as compared to controls. Our results show that sensory neuropeptides play a significant role in the blood flow increase seen following thermal injury. © 1998 Academic Press

The present study was performed to explore the modulatory potential of different endogenous opioid systems on transmission of presumed nociceptive information at the spinal cord level in thermally injured rats. Thermal injury was performed by dipping the left paw into water 60 degrees C for 20 s. This induced a significant bilateral decrease in hindpaw withdrawal latency HWL to pressure. Intrathecal administration of 10 nmol of CGRP8-37 induced a significant bilateral increase in HWL in the thermally injured group and in the intact controls. The effect of different opioid receptor antagonists on the increased latency to withdrawal response induced by intrathecal injection of 10 nmol of CGRP8-37 was explored in the thermally injured rats. The effect was reversed by intrathecal injection of 40 and 80 nmol of: b-funaltrexamine (mu opioid receptor antagonist) and naltrindole (delta opioid receptor antagonist), but not by norbinaltorphimine (kappa opioid receptor antagonist). The results of the present study show that intrathecal CGRP8-37 increases hindpaw withdrawal latency in thermally injured rats, an effect reduced by a mu as well as by a delta opioid receptor antagonist.

A scalding model in the anaesthetized rat was used to measure acute circulatory reactions after heat exposure. Local blood flow of both hindpaws was recorded simultaneously and continuously by laser Doppler flowmetry before, during and for 2 hours following scalding. The scalding injury was inflicted by dipping the right hindpaw into hot water at 60 degrees C for 20 s. Concomitantly, the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was displayed on a chart recorder. MAP was obtained by cannulation of the common carotid artery. Oedema formation was calculated by measuring the volume changes of the hindpaws in a plethysmometer before and 30, 60 and 120 min after scalding. Scalding was followed by a biphasic increase of cutaneous circulation. During the first minute after heat provocation, an immediate increase in blood perfusion of about 400% was recorded, followed by a slow decrease of circulation. At 30 min after scalding, there was a secondary phase of increased microcirculation of approximately 230%. A slow decline of cutaneous circulation then followed, and after about 60 min the value was stabilized at approximately 100% above pre-burn level throughout the observation time. Almost no change of perfusion was observed on the contralateral unscalded paw. The scalding injury was followed by a progressive oedema formation on the scalded paw, measured by a volume increase of approximately 72% during the observation period, whereas the non-scalded paw showed no change. MAP remained at a stable level throughout the experiment except for a short-lasting transient increase of approximately 10% at the same time as the first peak of blood perfusion. We could thus confirm that scalding in the present model is accompanied by an immediate and marked increase in the peripheral circulation of the scalded paw followed by a later propagation of oedema, and that these inflammatory changes do not appear to be related to central haemodynamic alterations.

Objective: Because glucocorticoid treatment can improve the survival of surgical skin flaps, we examined the influence of environmental stress on skin flap survival in the rat.¶Material: Female Sprague-Dawley rats.¶Treatment: Dexamethasone (1 mg/kg i.p.).¶Methods: A standardized dorsal skin flap was raised and sutured back into position, and six days later the percentage of flap survival was assessed. Corticosterone in rat plasma was measured using radioimmuno assay, and skin flap myeloperoxidase accumulation (reflecting neutrophil recruitment) was determined spectrophotometrically.¶Results: Skin flap survival decreased gradually during a 10 day acclimatization period after transportation of the animals from the supplier, and plasma corticosterone levels were increased during the first 5 days of acclimatization compared to day 7 and 10. Dexamethasone treatment of rats accustomed to their new environment for 10 days increased flap survival to a level close to that observed in animals operated at day 1 after arrival. Flap surgery induced pronounced neutrophil recruitment into flap tissue, and this cell accumulation was greatly reduced in both the dexamethasone treated rats and in rats with elevated corticosterone levels.¶Conclusions: Skin flap survival in rats exposed to environmental stress may be significantly increased as compared to animals accustomed to their new environment for one week, possibly as a consequence of anti-inflammatory actions exerted by stress-induced elevations in plasma corticosterone. These findings emphasize the importance of strictly controlling environmental stress factors in studies of inflammation and tissue damage after surgical skin trauma.

In 1996, the Swedish National Register for Gynecological Surgery started to collect pre- and postoperative information on patients using questionnaires given out as part of routine medical care. The information is used in providing clinical care to the patient and for quality assessment.To evaluate patients' acceptance of questionnaires as a means of collecting information, and to investigate whether the questionnaire is a suitable tool for follow-up of patients.In 1998, evaluations of the ordinary questionnaires were done by an evaluation questionnaire mailed to 80 patients who had been recently hysterectomized. The results were triangulated with results from the register's database and data from interviews with physicians and secretaries.The majority of the patients appreciated the questionnaires. Patients did not report any major problems in filling in the questionnaires. Most problems were due to administrative errors of the departments. Up to 36% of the patients missed the scheduled follow-up visit 2 months after the operation. Two out of four departments regarded the follow-up visit necessary and requested by the patients. Out of 1226 patients followed up postoperatively by questionnaire, 75% stated that they did not need any medical care. Among physicians, some distrust of questionnaires was noted.The patients in this study preoperatively, and for short- and long-term follow-up, accepted the questionnaire as an instrument of data collection. Questionnaires provide a more complete collection of post-treatment information than follow-up visits do. A large number of unnecessary follow-up visits can be avoided through use of a questionnaire.

SUMMARY. Local administration of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has been shown to improve tissue survival in surgical skin flaps. Moreover, topical CGRP has been demonstrated to exert anti-inflammatory effects in different animal models of skin inflammation. The aim of the present study was to establish whether systemic treatment with low doses of CGRP may improve survival and reduce neutrophil accumulation in surgical skin flaps. Using a well-established dorsal skin-flap model in the rat, we found that intraperitoneal (i.p.) pretreatment with low doses of CGRP dose-dependently increased flap survival. Thus, in untreated animals flap survival at day 7 after surgery was 42%, as compared to 44%, 60%, 69% and 73% survival after a single preoperative i.p. injection of 10 ‐15 ,1 0 ‐12 ,1 0 ‐9 and 10 ‐6 mol CGRP, respectively (P < 0.05 versus control for the three highest doses). The three effective doses had no detectable effects on either flap blood flow (laser Doppler) or mean arterial blood pressure. On the other hand, 5 〈 10 ‐9 mol CGRP i.p. significantly reduced the marked surgery-induced accumulation of flap myeloperoxidase (a marker for neutrophil recruitment) without affecting the circulating neutrophil count. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that low systemic doses of CGRP can cause a major improvement in skin-flap survival in the rat, possibly via inhibition of surgically induced neutrophil recruitment.

It has recently been hypothesized that both the sensory and sympathetic nervous system contribute to the inflammatory reaction. A scalding model was developed in anaesthetized rats to investigate the contribution of neuropeptides in heat-induced edema localized to the hindpaw. After immersing the paw in water at 60 degrees C for 10, 20, 30 and 60 s, edemic reactions were registered as change of paw volume in a plethysmograph and hindpaw perfusates collected to measure the content of neuropeptides by radioimmunoassay. A scalding period of 30 s induced the most prominent edemic reaction. There was a marked increase of the sensory neuropeptide neurokinin A and the sympathetic related transmitter neuropeptide Y in hindpaw perfusates after scalding. The effect of peripheral nerve ligation on edemic reaction and on the release of neuropeptides was investigated in rats scalded for 30 s at 60 degrees C. There was a significant decrease of edema formation in the scalded nerve ligated paw as compared with the scalded paw on the non-ligated side. Neurokinin A was not detected in nerve ligated rats before or after scalding, whereas mononeuropathic rats showed increased concentrations of neuropeptide Y. The present results indicate that the sensory as well as the sympathetic nervous system, possibly through the release of neuropeptides, may contribute to scald-induced edema.

The effect of vaginal sling plasties according to Zoedler and abdominal urethrocystopexies according to Marshall et al. on the intravesical and the intraurethral

One of the problems concerning the continuous pH-monitoring technique is whether the relationship between pH measured by the electrode and pH in central and/or capillary fetal blood is constant. To test to what extent a fibrin clot deposited on the pH-electrode influenced the recorded value and the sensitivity of the electrode, the following in vitro study was performed. Fibrin was deposited on the pH-electrode by means of thromboplastin and fibrinogen, or by thromboplastin and whole blood. The deposition of a clot was verified by inspection of the electrode in a microscope. The time for stabilization of the recorded pH-value and the recorded pH-value was measured in standard calibration solutions before and after deposition of the fibrin clot and after decomposition of the fibrin clot by plasmin. FDP was measured in the decomposition solution. From the study it was obvious that the stabilization time of the electrode was considerably influenced by deposition of an “unphysiological” fibrin clot, less so if the clot was deposited by means of whole blood. The recorded pH-value was not influenced.

The transcutaneous Po2 monitoring technique was applied in 20 newborns. The method proved reliable during hypoxemia, normoxemia and hyperoxemia, with a high correlation between Ptco2 and Pao2 in simultaneously obtained arterial samples. Although Ptco2 reliably reflects changes in Pao2, occasional arterial samples are still required for establishing the relationship between Ptco2 and Pao2, especially in patients with impaired circulation. When this relationship has been determined, the therapist may rely on the recorded Ptco2 level for hours, given that the energy supply required to maintain the electrode at a preset temperature level remains constant. A considerable difference between Ptco2 and Pao2 or a change in the energy supply level to the electrode may alert the therapist to check the patient's circulatory status. The Ptco2 technique is now fully developed and can be recommended for use in neonatal intensive care.

Continuous transcutaneous carbon dioxide partial pressure (tc PCO2) and continuous transcutaneous oxygen partial pressure (tc PO2) was monitored simultaneously in 10 consecutive neonatal intensive care patients treated for respiratory problems or immaturity. During measurement the electrode temperature was 44 degrees C while during the resting periods--with the electrodes left in situ--the electrode temperature was 37 degrees C. Measurements were performed for periods up to 31 hours. It was possible to discover changes in central blood gas partial pressures also at the lower electrode temperature. This was especially true for the tc PCO2 recording which was less influenced by the decrease in electrode temperature than the tc PO2 recording. In six patients an increased frequency of apnoea was diagnosed by the transcutaneous blood gas monitoring equipment previous to other clinical signs. A statistically highly significant correlation was found between transcutaneous and arterial blood gas values, the arterial samples obtained from umbilical artery catheters. tc PCO2 and tc PO2 very sensitively reacts to changes in the breathing pattern and to changes in activity of the neonate emphasizing the drawbacks of previous blood gas monitoring techniques. The technique for continuous transcutaneous carbon dioxide monitoring is ready for clinical use and is a valuable additional tool in all neonatal intensive care patients with the risk of alveolar hypoventilation.

The technique of transcutaneous monitoring of oxygen partial pressure (Ptco2,), first described in 1969, provided a new clinical possibility for continuous and noninvasive surveillance of changes in the oxygenation of the organism. To obtain optimal arterialization of the skin and thus a reliable recording, the electrodes used have been supplied with microheating elements. The electrode temperature used implies the risk of producing burns; this is especially true when the measurements are performed in patients with decreased skin circulation or in immature children with a thin and vulnerable skin. Thus, a careful choice of the electrode temperature is important in PtcO2 recording; a higher temperature is desirable for obtaining adequate arterialization, whereas a lower temperature is preferred for reducing the risk of burns. The electrode temperatures described for PtcO2 measurements range from 42-45 C. A systematic study with the Radiometer TCM 1 equipment showed that changing the electrode temperature influences the PtcO2 in a systematic way within the temperature range 43.0-45.0 C. The study also showed that simultaneous measurements obtained from two electrodes with different temperatures showed a highly parallel course and a comparable oscillating pattern within this temperature range. The results of the present study suggest that an electrode temperature of 44.5 C may be the most appropriate for this equipment in clinical applications with newborns.

During the period 1974-1980, all late abortions (greater than 19 completed gestational weeks) (LA), late fetal deaths (LFD) and early neonatal deaths (END) were surveyed in a continuous material of 17813 births with an ascertained gestational age established by early ultrasound fetometry. There was no maternal death during the period. The total perinatal mortality (PM) was 0.98% with an END rate of 0.51%. In about 45% of LFD no diagnosis was found. Intrapartum death was extremely rare as was END caused by asphyxia or infection. In END, death from immaturity constituted the major group in the beginning of the period, while after 1977 lethal malformations was the dominating diagnosis. There was a continuous decrease in Idiopathic Respiratory Distress Syndrome (IRDS) as a cause of END. The proportion of END in extremely premature children showed a constant decrease in the beginning of the period. No difference in sex was found in END except for lethal malformations where there was a significant male preponderance. As a consequence of a more active obstetrical care, some fetuses who would previously have been classified as LA were probably delivered liveborn, extremely premature and appeared as END. The question of where to set the limits for what should be included in PM is thus highly relevant.

One of the problems concerning the continuous pH-monitoring technique is whether the relationship between pH measured by the electrode and pH in central and/or capillary fetal blood is constant. To test to what extent a fibrin clot deposited on the pH-electrode influenced the recorded value and the sensitivity of the electrode, the following in vitro study was performed. Fibrin was deposited on the pH-electrode by means of thromboplastin and fibrinogen, or by thromboplastin and whole blood. The deposition of a clot was verified by inspection of the electrode in a microscope. The time for stabilization of the recorded pH-value and the recorded pH-value was measured in standard calibration solutions before and after deposition of the fibrin clot and after decomposition of the fibrin clot by plasmin. FDP was measured in the decomposition solution. From the study it was obvious that the stabilization time of the electrode was considerably influenced by deposition of an "unphysiological" fibrin clot, less so if the clot was deposited by means of whole blood. The recorded pH-value was not influenced.

The acute effects of cigarette smoking on fetal breathing movements and fetal movements were determined with a real-time ultrasound system in 10 healthy habitually smoking women in late gestation. The study was carried out for 1 hour before and 1 hour after the woman smoked a single cigarette. The maternal blood glucose concentration was maintained at a raised postprandial level through the study. After smoking, a significant increase in the rate of fetal breathing movements (P less than .05) appeared together with a reduction in the short time variability of the breath-to-breath intervals (P less than .05). The number of epochs without fetal breathing movements or fetal trunk and limb movements increased after smoking (P less than .05), indicating a change in the spacing of these fetal activities. The increased breathing rate and number of apneic epochs were both correlated to maternal nicotine levels. These observations suggest an acute influence on the fetal behavioral state of maternal smoking.

Transcutaneous oxygen measurement (Ptco2 -measurement) gives by a non-invasive technique continuous information about central Po2 The method has as yet been tested mainly on newborns, and systematic studies of the applicability of the method on adults are still few. The current systematic study reports on consecutive Ptco2 measurements in 15 patients, all with indwelling arterial cathelers: 13 of the patients were artificially ventilated; 5 patients had normal body structure and normal skin circulation; 5 patients were obese and had normal skin circulation; and 5 patients were hypothermic with a normal heart frequency or slight bradycardia. The Radiometer equipment TCM1 was used. The electrode surface temperature was 45.0°C (within ±0.2°C). The oxygen concentration in the inspired air was altered several times for all patients, and arterial samples were drawn at a stable Ptco2 level. On average, seven samples were drawn from each patient. The correlation between Ptco2 and Pao2 was highly significant in 4/5 patients, in both the “obese patient” group and the “normal patient” group. In the “hypo-thermic patient” group, the correlation between Ptco2 and Pao2 was highly statistically significant in 2/5 patients. The regression line between Ptco2 and Pao2 was calculated for each patient, and a mean regression line was obtained for each group. It was found that the regression line in the “obese patient” group was displaced to the right and parallel to the regression line in the “normal patient” group, while the regression line in the “hypothermic patient” group was less sloping and showed a higher intercept. The Ptco2 monitoring technique reliably reflects changes in the central oxygenation of adult intensive care patients. In some patients with decreased skin circulation, the relationship between Ptco2 and Pao2 seemed to be constant for the same patient, yielding statistically significant correlations. However, the study cannot determine whether this would be true in all clinical situations; the relationship between Ptco2 and Pao2 should therefore be checked frequently when measurements are performed in patients with decreased skin circulation. The author's experience with the Ptco2 monitoring method in patients near death has been consistent with the obvious fact that the reliability of the method decreases with decreased skin circulation.

Two children aged 1 and 20 months developed alveolar hypoventilation syndrome. They suffered severe apnoeic episodes and periodically required assisted ventilation. Their ventilatory response to carbon dioxide was lower than that of normal children and the transcutaneous oxygen tension during sleep was well below the normal range. Treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate resulted in an improved response to carbon dioxide, and assisted ventilation was no longer needed. Oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions improved but were still slightly abnormal during sleep. There were no clinical side effects of treatment but one infant had slight pituitary suppression.

The technique for transcutaneous oxygen (TcPO2) monitoring is now routine in neonatal intensive care. The method was presented earlier as a potential tool for fetal surveillance during labor. The current study reports on two techniques generally used for the application of the electrode to the fetus. The application of the electrode by a suction instrument does not influence the TcPO2 level recorded and the use of this technique is very simple. However, the main disadvantage of the suction instrument is that the electrode is easily detached. Application of the electrode by glue is technically a little more difficult but has the advantage of being much more efficient. If the criteria for a reliable recording presented in the study are fulfilled, the technique may be used as an additional parameter to diagnose true fetal hypoxemia.