Abstract
Crying vital capacity (CVC), the maximum volume of air expired during a single cry was measured by reverse plethysmography during the first two weeks of life in 77 normal, vaginally delivered preterm and term infants. CVC correlated exponentially with chest circumference (r = + 0.91). Mean CVC/CC was similar in preterm and term infants, rose from 2.60ml/cm at 0 - 12h to 2.70ml/cm at 24h (P< 0.005) and did not change thereafter. The range of values after 24h in normal infants (- 2SD to + 2SD) is 2.31 to 3.11ml/cm. Clinically normal term infants delivered by elective caesarian section (CS) had a significantly reduced CVC throughout the study period. Infants of women who had laboured and who were delivered by urgent CS also had a reduced CVC but achieved their maximum at 2 days. Infants with lung pathology had gross abnormalities of CVC. CONCLUSIONS: CVC is a simple, precise, non-invasive measurement which can detect abnormalities in clinically normal infants. Babies born by CS have reduced CVC but labour prior to CS lessens the abnormality. Serial CVC measurements promise to be of prognostic value in monitoring neonatal lung function.
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Chiswick, M., Westcott, S. & Milner, R. CRYING VITAL CAPACITY IH THE NEWBORN. Pediatr Res 8, 908 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197411000-00068
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197411000-00068