Oxidation products of proteins in plasma of newborns reflect damage inflicted by O supplementation and correlate with gestational age.

Treatment of neonates, and especially preterm newborns, with supplementary O, can result in oxidative stress and both short- and long-term health complications. Oxidation products formed on proteins, which are the principal targets of reactive species in plasma, can be used to assess damage arising from O therapy. We hypothesized that this may be particularly relevant for preterm neonates.