Abstract
Among 100 consecutive infants admitted to a NICU, serum CRP val ues ⩾ 1.0 mg/dl occurred in 18 during any of the first three days of life. Of these 18 infants, 12 had one or more of these problems: intrauterine growth retardation, meconium aspiration pneumonitis, febrile mother, transient tachypnea, and low Apgar score and/or shock and/or fetal distress. Of 11 with serum CRP values ⩾ 2.0 mg/dl, 8 had maternal fever, meconium aspiration pneumonitis, shock and/or fetal distress. Serum CRP,values during the first 3 days of life among 35 infants of mothers with fever and/or prolonged rupture of membranes were not helpful in identifying the 2 with systemic Group B β hemolytic streptococcal disease (urine positive for antigen by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis), there being 7 others with negative surface cultures and serum CRP values ⩾ 1.0 and 3 with elevated values of 6 whose surface cultures were positive.
Serial serum CRP determinations of 10 infected neonates (7 septicemias due to a variety of organisms, 1 urinary tract infection 1 pneumonia and 1 scalp abscess) followed the expected rapid decline during successful therapy.
Serum CRP values during the first days of life are often elevated because of non-infectious causes. Accordingly, this acute-phase protein cannot be used to identify infection during the first days of life. However, it affords an excellent means of evaluating the course of infections and effectiveness of therapy among term and preterm infants.
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Alnbender, E., Cabatu, E., Guzman, D. et al. 983 USEFULNESS OF SERUM C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) DURING THE NEWBORN PERIOD. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 606 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01008
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-01008