Prevention, recognition, and treatment of perinatal asphyxia.

Management of perinatal asphyxia is one of those rare opportunities in clinical medicine when death or life-long disability can be prevented with several minutes of skillful and judicious action. Fetal and neonatal asphyxia is approached most successfully as a joint obstetric, pediatric, and anesthetic effort. This article reflects the team approach to perinatal asphyxia.