[Vascular thrombosis after catheterization of the umbilical artery]. / Trombosis vascular secundaria a cateterismo de la arteria unbilical.

Two newborns with vascular thromboses due to catheterization of the umbilical artery are reported; one of them died and in the other one it was necessary to amputate the leg. Considerations are made on the predisposing factors for this complications, as well as the indications and precautions for this technic.

[Congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasis and hyaline membrane. Report of a case]. / Linfangiectasia pulmonar congénita y membrana hialina. Presentación de un caso.

The case of a newborn with pathological confirmation of congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasis and hyaline membrane is reported. The lymphagiectasis corresponded to type III, with histological characteristics that make it different from other types of lymphatic dilatation. This association is quite uncommon and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute respiratory failure in the newborn period.

[Globular sedimentation rate as an index of infection in the newborn]. / Velocidad de sedimentación globular como índice de infección en el recién nacido.

Sedimentation (VSG) rate was studied following the microhematocrit technique in 40 healthy and in 52 infected preterm infants complaining of gastroenteritis, bronchopneumonia, meningitis and septicemia. In healthy infants, VSG was measured at 3, 6, 9, 15, 20, 25 and 30 days of age and in infected cases, it was measured in the course of disease or during recovery. Increment of VSG was shown in healthy cases from 1.29 mm/1 hour at the age of 3 days up to 9.39 mm/1 hour at one month of age. In infected newborns, average VSG was higher than in healthy infants in every one of the days measured. In 8 of the infants with septicemia, VSG showed a marked rise followed by drop as the patients improved. At the end, comments are made on the usefulness of the method as and aid in the diagnosis of infection in preterm newborns.

[Effect of minimal doses of phenobarbital on bilirubinemia in the newborn infant]. / Efecto de dosis mínimas de fenobarbital sobre la bilirrubinemia del neonato

To evaluate the effect of lower than usual doses of phenobarbital on prevention of hyperbilirubinemia in the neonate, a study was carried out in neonates with subnormal weight and of similar characteristics regarding gestational age, intrauterine growth, absence of pathology, type and amount of milk formula ingested and values for indirect serum bilirubin previous to the initiation of the administration of phenobarbital on their second day of life; they were separate at random into three groups according to the dose of phenobarbital given (1 mg, 3 mg and 5 mg per kilo and per day, respectively) and were numerically distributed in similar manner. In all groups, serum indirect bilirubin rate was confirmed to be practically the same; the differences did not show statistical significance from the 2nd to the 6th day of life, when the study was done. As preventive of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, the drug is efficient at doses as low as 1 mg/kg/day. It is believed that similar responses with different low doses of phenobarbital is due to the fact that the drug enzymatic induction phenomenon is brought forward, even at minimal doses, such as has been demonstrated through experiences in animals where the effect is produced even with doses of micrograms per kilogram of weight.