Effects of jaundice and phototherapy on gastric emptying in the newborn.

Gastric emptying rate was measured in term infants without jaundice, with mild jaundice, and with moderate jaundice before and after phototherapy. Gastric emptying was significantly delayed in the moderately jaundiced infants (serum unconjugated bilirubin 233-332 mumol/l) but returned to normal following phototherapy. Mild jaundice (serum unconjugated bilirubin 170-204 mumol/l) had no effect on gastric emptying.

Increased blood lead levels in mentally retarded children in Greece.

In 60 children with mental retardation of unknown etiology, the whole blood lead, as well as the activity of the red cell delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (delta-ALAD), was measured. Thirty normal children and 30 with mental retardation of known etiology were used as controls. The lead values were found significantly higher in the study patients compared with both control groups (P less than 0.

Urine porphyrins and their precursors in homozygous beta-thalassaemia.

In 68 patients with homozygous beta-thalassaemia the excretion of porphyrins and porphyrin precursors in urine has been assayed. Though a definite excretion pattern has not been established, the majority of the thalassaemics excrete an increased amount of coproporphyrin and porphobilinogen. The results are compared to those published by other authors.