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Blood levels and urinary excretion of tyrosine were determined in 31 low-birth\x=req-\ weight infants. Fourteen of these infants were preterm and 17 were born at term. Gestational age was assessed by menstrual history, and doubtful cases were corrected by neurological examination. Both plasma and urinary tyrosine levels were markedly increased in infants whose gestational age was below 38 weeks. These differences were present regardless of the infant's birth weight. Thus, the changing pattern of tyrosine metabolism, previously described, is a phenomenon associated with maturity and not with birth weight. These data supply a practical biochemical method for assessing gestational age in low-birth-weight infants. Some years ago the classical studies of Levine and his group'"' showed that premature infants be¬ low 2,200 gm (4 lb 14 oz), fed with high-protein formulas, excreted large amounts of tyrosine and its deriva¬ tives in their urine. It was also ob¬ served3 that the excretion of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid ranged be¬ tween 223 and 698 mg/24 hr. This high urinary excretion was main¬ tained when the diet was not supple-

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Three years follow up to postnatal growth in very low birth weight infantsGrowth of 230 very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) admitted to the neonatal wards of a metropolitan pediatric hospital at Santiago, Chile was studied prospect ively up to 36 months of age, in the period [1980][1981][1982][1983][1984][1985][1986][1987][1988]. For further analysis patients were separated in groups A, 60 newborn infants with birth-weight below 1 001 g and B, 170 newborn infants with birth-weight between 1 001 and 1 500 g. We used Patri's growth charts, to compare the results with full term healthy newborns of 3318 g average birth-weight from the same socio-economical status. The average weight of group A infants was below 2 SD at age one year and between one and two SD at 2 and 3 years of age. In group B infants weight was between one and 2 SD at one year of age and below 1 SD at 2 years, At age 3 years average weight was very close to normal. Group A infants were not succesfull to achieve the average height of the standard at age 3 year, but this same goal was obtained at 2 years of age in group B infants. Head circumference was within the normal average at ages 3 and 2 year in group A and B infants, respectively.(Key words: very low birth weight infants, growth, postnatal, height, weight, head circumference.)Actualmente se dispone en Chile de normas nacionales para evaluar el estado nutrjcional del nino, con las que se han establecido tasas regionales y nacionales de desnutricion. Dichas normas no toman en cuenta el peso de nacimiento, clasificando como desnutridos a muchos lactantes y preescolares cuyos pesos pudiesen ser considerados normales en ciertos casos si se aplicasen criterios mas apropiados.Estas consideraciones impulsaron a los autores a iniciar en 1989 un estudio longitudinal del crecimiento postnatal de los recien nacidos (RN) de peso inferior a 1 501 g (RNMBP), cuyos resultados a echo semanas 1 y a un afio 2 han sido recientemente comunicados. En esta oportunidad damos a conocer la evolucion del peso corporal, talla y pen'metro cefalico de una poblacion di. RN de muy bajo peso del area norte de Santiago, desde el nacimiento hasta los tres afios de edad. El objetivo principal es proporcionar una curva de crecimiento que, aunque corresponde a una poblacion limitada, puede servir como referenda para otras localidades y para futuras comparaciones en nuestro y otros medios. Pacientes y M6todoEl seguimiento se realizo en 230 RNMBP adecuados para la edad gestacional, Ubres de anomalias congenitas, displasia broncopulmonar, hemonagia intracraneana, otras enfermedades graves o signos de malnutrition intrauterina. No fueron excluidos los ninos que teni'an trastornos propios de su inmadurez, aunque hubiesen requerido ventilacion mecanica, fototerapia, recambio sanguineo o alimentacion parenteral total. Todos los RN fueron atendidos en la unidad de neonatologia del hospital Roberto del Rio, segun sus norraas 3 y dados de alta cuando pesaban, por lo menos, 2 000 g. Para el seguimiento fueron examinados una vez al mes en ...