Platelet-Neutrophil Interactions Are Lower in Cord Blood of Premature Newborns.

Objective: To quantify platelet-neutrophil interaction by flow cytometry, in newborn cord blood, as a function of gestational age.

Rationale: Little is known about platelet function markers in the newborn, and developmental variations in these markers are not well described.

Methods: Cord blood samples were obtained from 64 newborns between 23 and 40 weeks' gestation.

Urinary Hypoxanthine as a Measure of Increased ATP Utilization in Late Preterm Infants.

Objective: To examine the effect of neonatal morbidity on ATP breakdown in late preterm infants.

Study Design: Urinary hypoxanthine concentration, a marker of ATP breakdown, was measured from 82 late preterm infants on days of life (DOL) 3 to 6 using high-performance liquid chromatography. Infants were grouped according to the following diagnoses: poor nippling alone (n = 8), poor nippling plus hyperbilirubinemia (n = 21), poor nippling plus early respiratory disease (n = 26), and respiratory disease alone (n = 27).

Urinary Allantoin Is Elevated in Severe Intraventricular Hemorrhage in the Preterm Newborn.

Germinal matrix intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is the most common type of intracranial hemorrhage observed in preterm neonates. It is a precursor of poor neurocognitive development, cerebral palsy, and death. The pathophysiology is not well defined, but damage to the fragile germinal matrix vasculature may be due to free radicals generated during inflammation and as a consequence of ischemia followed by reperfusion.