Abstract
Our recently developed method for the RIA of cortisol in heel-rick blood spots collected on filter paper enabled us to determine cortisol concentrations in premature (PM) and fullterm (FT) newborns.
Cortisol conc. (μg/dl) in PM 30' and 60' after birth were (mean±SEM,n):21.7±2.7 (8) 22.5±3.8 (8), respectively and declined to 12.7±1.5 (10) at 24 hours. At the age of 2 months, the levels were 8.0±0.4 (9). In FT, cortisol conc. at 3,6,12,20,24,45 and 72 hours were: 11.2±1.5 (5), 11.1±2.6 (5), 12.5±1.4 (4), 12.6±2.8 (5), 10.4±1.7 (14), 10.8±1.2 (8) and 8.2±0.8 (7).
The data suggest that: 1. The PM group responds to birth with increased cortisol conc. which declined 24 hours later; 2. In the FT group, cortisol conc. at 3 hours are already as low as in the PM group at 24 hours; 3. No change in cortisol conc. occurs from 3 hours to 2 days postnatally in the FT group.
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Sack, J., Kraiem, Z., Brish, M. et al. Cortisol concentrations in prematures and fullterm newborns. Pediatr Res 15, 1572 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198112000-00222
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198112000-00222