Abstract
Lecithin/Sphingomyelin /L/S/ ratio was measured in the hypopharyngeal aspirate of 41 newborn infants. In the 20 infants without respiratory distress the L/S ratiowithin 24 hours from birth ranged from 1.5 to 5.8 with a mean value of 3.3. In the 6 infants with “trantient tachypnoea of the newborn” the L/S ratio ranged from 2.0 to 6.7 with a mean value of 3.8. In the 15 infants with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome the L/S ratio ranged from 0.9 to 2.1 with a mean value of 1.41. In 14 of these infants the L/S ratio within 24 hoursfrom birth was 1.7 or less. The one infant with a higher ratio and severe respiratory distress will be described in detail. Serial hypopharyngeal aspirate L/S ratios were performed in the infants with idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome. There was a possible trend towards the earlier attainment of an L/S ratio of 2.0 in the infants who received continuous distending airway pressure compared with infants who did not receive this therapy.
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Barr, P., Jenkins, P. & Baum, J. LECITHIN/SPHINGOMYELIN RATIO IN THE HYPOPHARYNGEAL ASPIRATE OF NEWBORN INFANTS. Pediatr Res 9, 859 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197511000-00041
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197511000-00041
