[State of the sympathetic-adrenal system in newborn infants (clinico-biochemical comparisons)]

A study was made of urinary catecholamine excretion in 102 newborn boys on the 1st-8th day after birth. Depending on the state at birth neonates were divided into 2 groups: the 1st group included babies born in satisfactory condition (60), and the 2nd group - at the state of mild asphyxia. Catecholamines were determined on the 1st-2nd, 3rd-5th, and 6th-8th days after birth. It was shown that at the time of birth the noradrenaline level prevailed over the adrenaline level, but as soon as the 3rd-5th day the noradrenaline content displayed a relative reduction in both groups. Asphyxia showed practically no influence on the urinary adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion of the newborn boys; however, there were significant differences in the dynamics of dophamine excretion with the urine. The children born asphyxiated urinary excretion of dophamine showed a continuous accretion.