This form of acidosis reflects an abnormally high acidity (i.e., an excess hydrogen-ion concentration) of the blood and other body tissues due to and increase in the acidity of the body’s fluids resulting from an accumulation of acids or by depletion of bicarbonates. It occurs when the alveolar exchange of carbon dioxide is impeded as a consequence of, for example, obstructive or restrictive respiratory conditions, acute airway obstruction, bronchitis, asthma, or conditions affecting respiratory muscles or the nerves and pathways that drive them. Excess carbon dioxide then combines with water to form carbonic acid that increases the acidity of the blood. When respiratory acidosis occurs, it will take some time for the kidney to compensate by making more bicarbonate. Until this happens, the blood pH taken from umbilical cord blood will be lower than normal (pH is the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration and a measure of ‚aawater balance‚aa such that the concentration of hydrogen ions is the same as the concentration of hydroxide ions). Newborns, especially those born before term, who are severely depressed (i.e., those with Apgar scores of 0-3 at 5 minutes or longer and an umbilical artery blood pH of less than 7.00) are at risk of manifesting hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and subsequent neurological dysfunctions such as cerebral palsy
. See Acidosis, Apgar score, Birth asphxia, Cerebral palsy, Electrolyte, Hypoxia, Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, Preterm infant