[Concentration of C-reactive protein in neonatal pathology]

C-reactive protein concentration was measured in 56 preterm and 61 full term newborn infants with various pathology, at the postnatal age of 0-24 hrs and 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks. One third of all study babies had an increased (greater than 10 mg/l) CRP level measured within 24 hrs of birth. On the first day, CRP concentration in neonates with a pronounced perinatal asphyxia was as high as in those who suffered from perinatal infection. Further postnatal changes in CRP level need individual evaluation in every case, considering the diagnosis, clinical course and treatment. In connection with the results the clinical usefulness of CRP determinations in neonatal medicine is shortly discussed.