[Physiology of hemostasis in newborn infants. I]

Ever since neonatal hemostasis has been studied systematically, a great number of single data und laboratory parameters have been collected which all differ more or less distinctly from results gained in adults. This has been leading repeatedly to the conclusion that the hemostasis in newborns is still immature or somehow insufficient. At least in healthy and term infants this does not apply; each pre- and postnatal stage of development has its own optimally functioning hemostasis changing with age due to respective physiological peculiarities which nevertheless may gain considerable pathogenetic significance for preterm or sick newborns. A good example are for instance the vascular structures of the periventricular germinal matrix in prematures born during the critical period around the 24th and 34th week of gestation. This assumption being in agreement with an important principle of developmental physiology is proven in this paper particularly for platelets and plasmatic coagulation.