[Function of the sympathetico-adrenal system and the acid-base equilibrium in newborn infants with a hypoxic lesion of the central nervous system]

The function of the sympathetic-adrenal system was studied by measuring umbilical cord blood catecholamines in 31 full-term newborns with perinatal asphyxia and evidence of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and in 20 normal newborns. The results indicate that the full-term newborn responds to asphyxia with graded catecholamine release. The epinephrine concentration in newborns with moderate HIE is lower than in newborns with mild HIE, which may reflect decreased sympathetic-adrenal function due to prolonged asphyxia. Acid-base values in capillary blood and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid were determined in the babies with HIE, with the findings pointing to metabolic acidosis which was more expressed in cerebrospinal fluid.