The Nitrogenous and Sugar Content of the Blood of the New-Born

Abstract

MINNEAPOLISThe chemistry of the blood of the normal new-born has been studied in only a few cases, largely because of the difficulty of obtaining blood in sufficient amounts for the analysis of more than one constituent. Howland and Marriot1 have shown that the values for calcium are essentially the same as those found in the adult. Pettibone and Schultz 2 have made similar observations on nonprotein nitrogen. This research was the outgrowth of the study of the uric acid content of the blood of the new-born carried out by us in association with Kingsbury 3 in our laboratories.The purpose of the investigation was to determine, first, whether the other nitrogenous constituents were high at birth and then gradually decreased to the adult normal figure as is the case with uric acid, and, second, to study the sugar content.The blood was collected from the superior longitudinal sinus of the new-born in a glass syringe just before the 10 a. m. nursing period. Ten c.c. were expelled into a bottle containing 20 mg. of potassium oxalate dried in a thin film over the bottom and sides. The excellent

Observations on the urine of the new-born infant

“…It is interesting to note, and it is not without significance, that a similar trend in the urea nitrogen concentration of the blood in the new-born infant is reported by Schultz andPettibone (1915), Sedgwick andZiegler (1920) and Lucas et alia (1921) (fig. 17).…”