The whole blood oxygen affinity in normal human newborns: II) P50, n value and related parameters

The cord blood from 82 normal newborns (48 males and 34 females) has been extensively investigated, to check p50, cooperativity and related parameters. The most important results are the following: Neonatal p50 is slightly above 20 torr, in good agreement with the literature data, but this value refers to the p50 "CO-free" (T50); otherwise, the original p50 is slightly less than 22 torr, a value which is not indicative enough, because neonatal blood contains a consistent excess of Hb-CO. Either this CO-excess and the low p50 value seem to be mainly depending on the low binding capacity of Hb-F with DPG, even if further studies are still necessary at regard. The empirical factor correcting adult p50 to T50 is -0.27, a value which must be increased to -0.36 for neonatal blood. Multiple gas analyses of the samples indicate that oxygen transport is a very complicate equilibrium involving pH, CO2, bicarbonate balance and other factors. A complete statistical analysis of the data has been carried out and the main result indicates that oxygen assumption favours CO2 releasing and vice versa, a phenomenon already well known and globally called "Bohr effect".