Postnatal changes in colloid osmotic pressure in premature infants: in healthy infants, in infants with respiratory distress syndrome, and in infants born to mothers with premature rupture of membranes.

Abstract

Colloid osmotic pressure (COP) of blood plasma during the first 4 days of life was measured in 63 neonates: 16 healthy preterm infants, 36 infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and 11 infants born to mothers with premature rupture of membranes. The relation between COP and total protein content of blood was significant in all groups over times from 1-3 h to 96 h. COP rose significantly by the age of 3 h compared to COP of umbilical cord plasma in all groups investigated. Infants with RDS showed a significant increase in COP during the investigation period. In healthy preterm infants the increase was less significant. In infants with RDS there was a negative correlation between changes in COP and body weight not seen in the other groups investigated. COP in neonates seems to reflect the compartmentation between vascular and interstitial spaces. Measurement of COP could be clinically useful in assessing hemodynamic adaptation after birth and also in assessing edema formation and water balance in infants with RDS.