When it comes to water birth or water birth, there is a question that everyone wonders about. Why don't babies breathe in water?
Here are the factors that prevent breathing during water birth;
1. Hormones (PG, endorphin, progesterone, estrogen, adenosine) inhibit breathing
2. Birth at the same water temperature
3. Mild hypoxia at birth blocks breathing
4. Lack of stimulation of skin receptors (no contact with air)
5. Lack of gravity
6. When water reaches the larynx, chemoreceptors trigger the diving reflex
7. There is no sound stimulus (it is like being in the womb while in water)
8. Cord blood flow continues
If the fluid they are in during water birth is around 34-37 degrees, the fetuses still do not breathe even if the cord is closed. As the ambient temperature decreases, fetal respiratory movements begin, even if the cord is not closed. If the baby is given birth in water at the same temperature, this continues the functioning of the systems that prevent physiological respiration and the baby does not breathe.
In addition, one of the mechanisms that triggers a baby's breathing is the contact of the receptors in the skin with air. Birth in water prevents these receptors from working.
The baby's exposure to slightly cold water after birth triggers the diving reflex. In addition, the larynx, that is, the larynx area, is very rich in chemoreceptors. Any foreign object, including water, reaching here creates a stronger diving reflex. These chemoreceptors trigger the diving reflex via the superior laryngeal nerve and vagus nerve. While physiological fluids (normal saline, amniotic fluid, lung fluid, stomach fluid, blood, urine, breast milk) do not trigger this diving reflex, other foreign substances (water, milk of other species, artificial milk, alkalis) trigger the diving reflex. Thus, the lower laryngeal region is reflexively protected against foreign body aspiration. During water birth, water reaching the laryngeal area triggers the diving reflex. The baby goes into apnea. It does not engage in extortion unless there is severe asphyxia. The baby does not breathe until he reaches asphyxia. Once the asphyxia limit is crossed, extortion begins. Therefore, if a healthy baby is born, there is no need to take the babies out of the water urgently, they have enough time. Asphyxia occurs because blood flow from the cord continues. In order for them to pass the limit, the cord heartbeat must stop and some more time must pass. To see the application of this, there are many videos of babies being kept in water for 3-4 minutes after birth without any problems.
Still, we should not deny the fact that there is a possibility of the baby breathing under water for no reason, even if it is very rare. Even in these cases, babies did not experience major problems unless they were neglected. All babies who experienced water aspiration for various reasons recovered without any sequelae.
In babies born in water, not all respiratory initiating signals come suddenly, as in terrestrial births. Therefore, even if the baby is placed on the mother's lap and the cord is closed, the baby's breathing is a little calmer and is not accompanied by aggressive crying. For the same reason, these babies may experience mild limb bruising for a little longer. These are the signs of a slower and calmer transition to the new life during water birth, there is no need to panic.
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