Introduction Birth asphyxia is one of leading causes of neonatal mortality in Uganda. It is associated with long term neuro-developmental complications among the babies that survive. Preventive measures for birth asphyxia intrauterine are not clearly understood and thus the need for this study. The aim of the study is to assess the effect of intrapartum oxygen administration on fetal and early neonatal outcomes. Methods A double-blind randomized clinical trial which will be conducted in Gulu regional referral and Kawempe National referral hospitals in Uganda. A total sample size of 1108 women in labour will be enrolled with 554 participants per group. The intervention will include administration of 10 L/min of 100% oxygen for 15 minutes to women in established labor who have signs of fetal distress with fetal heart rate of less than 120 or above 160 beats per minute. The control group will receive medical air (21% oxygen) using the same criteria. Women and babies will be followed up until 7 days after birth to document the outcomes. Statistical analysis to identify difference in outcomes between the control and intervention groups will be performed. Ethical considerations Ethical approval and permission was received from relevant research and ethics committees. Informed consent will be sought from the participants. A data and safety monitoring board will be set up to review periodically the progress of the clinical trial study. Participants will be monitored for adverse events and severe adverse events; reporting will be done according to the research and ethics committee guidelines.
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Normalization of the fetal heart rate
Timeframe: 30 minutes