Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40859843›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics2026

The association of umbilical cord blood neurofilament light with non-reassuring fetal status: A prospective observational study.

David Zalcberg, Kaitlin Kramer, Emma Payne, Thomas Payne, Shreeya Marathe, Neha Mahajan, Ashly Liu, Jessica Barry, Andrew Duckworth, Mitchell Brooks and 8 more

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In one paragraph

Article in International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

David ZalcbergCentral Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Kaitlin KramerCentral Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Emma PayneSt George Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Caringbah, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1877-6961
Thomas PayneCentral Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Shreeya MaratheDepartment of Anesthetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Neha MahajanDepartment of Anesthetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Ashly LiuDepartment of Anesthetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Jessica BarryDepartment of Anesthetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Andrew DuckworthDepartment of Anesthetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Mitchell BrooksDepartment of Anesthetics, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Bradley de VriesSydney Institute for Women, Children and their Babies, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Fernando Gonzalez-OrtizDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
Kaj BlennowDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
Henrik ZetterbergDepartment of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
Adrienne GordonCentral Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Benjamin MoranCritical Care Program, The George Institute of Global Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Helen J ManningDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Central Coast Local Health District, Gosford, New South Wales, Australia.
Robert D SandersCentral Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.

Funding

Sydney Local Health District and University of Sydney
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveEarly detection of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in neonates is critical. We conducted a pilot cohort study to determine the feasibility of collecting umbilical cord blood samples for neurofilament light (NfL) and to assess the association of NfL with non-reassuring fetal status and other cord biomarkers. We aimed to address (1) Feasibility of cord NfL sample collection and analysis; (2) Association of NfL with non-reassuring fetal status (CTG changes and/or documented non-reassuring fetal status), neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission and length of stay; (3) Correlation of NfL with other cord biomarkers.

methodsThis was a prospective cohort study performed in a single, large tertiary and quaternary referral hospital. A total of 108 maternal participants consented to donate cord blood. Umbilical cord blood NfL levels were measured via single molecule array (Simoa) analysis.

resultsCord NfL was higher in preterm neonates and was correlated with cord lactate, pH, and base excess. After controlling for mode of delivery and gestational age, NfL (odds ratio [OR] = 2.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-5.57), but not pH (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.42-1.41), base excess (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.37-1.86), or lactate (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.51-2.12) was associated with non-reassuring fetal status. NfL levels were higher in neonates admitted to NICU (median [IQR]: 11.3 [7] vs 8.5 [5.1]).

conclusionCord blood NfL analysis was feasible and provided correlates of adverse outcomes. Higher venous cord blood NfL levels were associated with non-reassuring fetal status. Further research is needed to validate these findings and establish the role of NfL, if any, in clinical practice.

Indexed as

asphyxiaHIEhypoxic–ischemic encephalopathyneurofilament lightumbilical cord blood

Identifiers

PMID40859843
PMCPMC12936647

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.