Oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory rate and rectal teraperature in healthy newborns during the first two hours after birth

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Abstract
A report is made on the continuous registration of oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory rate and rectal temperature in 32 neonates during the first two hours of life. A short account of the registration technique is given. A comparative study shows, that oxygen consumption, heart rate and respiratory rate fall during the period of observation, whereas the rectal temperature rises. 26 out of the 32 neonates demonstrated a approximately linear fall of each of the oxygen consumption values during the period of observation. There is a similar relationship, which is statistically verified, between the oxygen uptake and heart rate. Oxygen consumption and heart rate can be correlated with each other after the first 60 minutes of life. This close and direct relationship between the oxygen consumption and the heart rate, an important parameter of the heart and circulatory system, stresses clearly the importance of the continuous registration of oxygen consumption for monitoring the general condition of the neonate. A change from this situation means a risk for the neonate which must be clarified by blood-gas analysis. A continuous registration of oxygen uptake for the surveillance of the neonate includes numerous vital functions and appears to be a more suitable parameter than single parameters which include only partial functions. The application of the method is simple and safe for the infant.