[Effect of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on arachidonate and docosahexaeonic acid in healthy infants in the first four months of life]. / Hosszú szénláncú, többszörösen telítetlen zsírsavak hatása egészséges csecsemók arachidonsav-és dokozahexénsav-ellátottságára 92 eletelsonegy honapjaban.

Fatty acid compositions of plasma phospholipids (PL), triglycerides (TG) and sterol esters (STE) were measured by high resolution capillary gas-liquid chromatography in formula fed healthy infants at the ages of 5 days and 1, 2, 3 and 4 months. The infants were randomly assigned to receive either conventional infant formula (F, n = 10) without long-chain polyunsaturates (LCP) or the same formula supplemented with LCP (LCP-F, n = 12) in amounts and ratios similar to those characteristic to human milk. From the age of 1 month onwards, percentage contributions of the principal omega-6 LCP, arachidonic acid were significantly higher in plasma lipids of infants fed LCP-F than in those receiving conventional formula without dietary LCP. Values of the principal omega-3 LCP, docosahexaenoic acid were also significantly lower in the infants fed conventional formula than in those receiving LCP-F throughout the study. The data obtained indicate that from the formula supplemented with LCP both arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids were effectively absorbed and incorporated into infantile plasma lipids. Recent data of the literature suggest that supplementation of infant formula with LCP may beneficially influence visual and psychomotor development also in healthy, term infants.

Campomelic dysplasia without campomelia.

We present a male infant with campomelic dysplasia syndrome (McKusick 21197) in whom no bowing of the tibiae or femora was seen, but widely set nipples and long upper segment of the arm were observed. In accordance with two previous case reports, the present findings suggest that a campomelic dysplasia variant without campomelia may exist.

[Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium status and postnatal growth during 0-8 weeks in low birth weight premature infants]. / Kis súlyú (less than 1500 g) koraszülöttek kalcium, foszfor, magnézium statusa és 0-8 hetes postnatalis növekedése.

Mineral intake and biochemical parameters of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium metabolism were studied during the first eight postnatal weeks in 12 very low birthweight preterm infants. However, the intake of calcium and phosphorus was less than that generally advised in the relevant literature, only marginally lowered serum mineral concentration and no rise in alkaline phosphatase activity were found. Urinary calcium/creatinine and phosphorus/creatinine ratio did not reflect mineral deficiency either. At the same time, a significant inverse correlation was found between postnatal growth rate and calcium excretion in the study babies, whose postnatal growth rate was much less than the control foetal growth rate. The authors briefly discuss the main aspects of neonatal mineral supply and homeostasis.

[Survival rate and follow up studies of very low birth weight (less than 1000 g) premature infants]. / Igen kis súlyú (1000 g-nál kisebb) koraszülöttek túlélése és utánvizsgálata.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Department of Pediatrics, University Medical School Pécs had been established 11 years ago. 219 premature infants who weighed 1000 g or less were admitted to the NICU between Jan. 1978 and Dec. 1988. The authors analysed the hospital records of there patients and found a marked increase in survival rates during the last five year period. The data presented strongly suggest that improvement of obstetric care, development of respiratory and fluid therapy, the increasing experience of hospital staff caring for the infants are the main factors contributing to improved results. At the same time the adverse effects of transportation from the referring institution are well demonstrated. The main causes of death remained the same over the 11 years studied. The number and severity of acute and late complications decreased markedly. The intensive care of very low birth weight infants is becoming increasingly expensive. However the growing expenditures are justified by increasing life expectancy of patients and the expected better quality of life among survivors.

Perinatal hypoxia and hepatic cell function in preterm and full term newborn infants.

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity and the serum concentration of lipoprotein-x, indirect bilirubin and total bile acids were measured in 28 preterm and 24 full term newborn infants, with or without hypoxia, at the postnatal age 3-4 days. Those preterm and full term babies who suffered from hypoxia had increased mean lipoprotein-x, bilirubin, total bile acid concentration and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in comparison to that of controls, but the differences were not significant statistically. Clinical implications of the results are briefly discussed.