Objective:To diagnose early neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage by measuring umbilical artery lactate and NSE levels.Methods:There were fifty neonates without the symptoms of fetal distress and Apgar score≥9 in the control group.There were twenty five neonates with HIE in the study group.All neonates were measured for umbilical artery lactate and NSE levels at delivery.Results:The umbilical artery NSE(14.01±4.35μg/L) and lactate levels (4.55±1.07mmol/L) in HIE group was significantly higher than those (lactate 2.37±0.29mmol/L

NSE7.61±2.14μg/L) in the control group ( P <0.01).There were a positive correlation between NSE and lactate levels in umbilical artery( r =0.832

P <0.01).In HIE group

eighty percent of neonates’ mothers suffered complications during pregnancy and only twenty percent of neonates suffered acute distress in delivery.Conclusion:Measuring umbilical artery NSE and lactate levels is an efficient and accurate technique for early diagnosis of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage and evaluation of the severity.Mostly neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damages are due to the long time hypoxia-ischemia induced by complications in antepartum and the few are due to acute distress in delivery.