Summary
Ten premature infants were investigated with respect to central and peripheral circulatory patterns. Five of the patients had the typical picture of respiratory distress syndrome of varying severity whereas the rest were free of pulmonary pathology. The circulation in the premature infants without respiratory distress is characterized by pulmonary as well as systemic hyperkinesis and the presence of small right‐left shunts through the foramen ovale. In contrast to the findings in healthy premature infants, the respiratory distress cases usually had a low systemic and pulmonary perfusion with pronounced intra – as well as extra pulmonary right‐left shunts.