ADRENAL CORTICAL FUNCTION IN NEWLY-BORN INFANTS

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Abstract
The 24-hr, urinary excretion of corticoids in 10 newly-born infants 1-11 days of age was detd. serially, using the oxidation method. Small amts. of corticoids were found. There was a definite trend towards increasing excretion of these substances with increasing age, the difference between the amts. present in the urine in the first 2 days of life and in the 2d week of life being highly significant. Per square me.ter of body surface, the amts. of corticoids excreted during the 2d week of life were of the same order of magnitude as those excreted by normal adult males. The amts. of 17-ketosteroids excreted by 1 of these infants and 3 additional infants were also detd. Relatively large amts. were found in the first 2 days of life followed thereafter by a definite downward trend, the values by the 9th day being less than 1/3 of those originally found. Varying amts. of ACTH were admd. intramusc. When a sufficient amt. of this hormone was given, the infants responded by a rise in the urinary excretion of corticoids, a rise in urinary 17-ketosteroids and a fall in blood eosinophils. The uric acid: creatinine ratio did not prove to be a satisfactory index of adrenal cortical activity in this age group. The responsiveness of the adrenal cortex to ACTH was found to be increased in the 2d week of life.