Normal and abnormal bleeding times in neonates and young children utilizing a fully standardized template technic

Prior reports of bleeding times for newborn infants have utilized nonstandardized methods. The standard adult template method was modified for use with infants by decreasing the incision size (5 mm x 0.5 mm) and the sphygmomanometer pressure used to stress local hemostasis. The bleeding time with this technic for healthy term (3.4 min +/- 0.9) and preterm (3.6 min +/- 1.0) newborn infants did not differ from that for healthy young children (3.4 min +/- 1.3). The method is sensitive to the antiplatelet effects of aspirin and indomethacin, decreasing platelet count (r = 0.76), and the platelet dysfunction of von Willebrand's disease and platelet storage pool disease. Platelet dysfunction was documented in association with severe internal bleeding for a group of premature infants who had respiratory distress syndrome. The advantages of this method include full standardization of the incision size, minimal blood loss, and use of equipment readily available to any clinical laboratory.