EFFECTS AND FATE OF HUMAN SERUM ALBUMIN ADMINISTERED INTRAVENOUSLY AND ORALLY TO PREMATURE INFANTS 12

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Abstract
Repeated intraven. injn. of concd. human albumin in bi-weekly doses of 0.5 g./lb. (1.1 g./kg.) or 0.75 g./lb. (1.6 g./kg.) for from 4 to 8 weeks in 2 sets of 13 premature infants each, produced slight (approx. 15%) elevations of serum albumin, as compared to 27 control infants. Oral admn. of 0.5 g./lb. (1.1 g./kg.) at similar intervals produced no effect on the serum albumin of 18 premature infants. No effect of albumin by either route was noted in the wt., hemoglobin, red cell count, or general course of either group. The elevation in serum albumin was not sustained after the treated infants were discharged. Three weeks later their serum albumin concn. had fallen; that of the controls had risen, and both groups were approx. identical. Hematocrit changes indicated that 1 g. of injd. albumin resulted in temporary addition of 15 cc. to plasma vol. Balance studies of 9 infants indicated only partial retention of the N of injd. or ingested albumin. This tended to be greater in infants given low-protein diets. It is suggested that the failure of premature infants to retain injected serum albumin as such, (or to use its N component for serum protein synthesis) may be related to their low capillary hydrostatic pressures rather than to inadequate powers of synthesis.[long dash].