Effective pulmonary capillary blood flow in infants with birth asphyxia

Effective pulmonary capillary blood flow was measured on the first day of life in twenty term infants with birth asphyxia and twenty-five normal term infants. The infants studied showed no clinical or laboratory evidence of respiratory distress. The mean effective pulmonary capillary blood flow of 121 ml/kg/min in the birth asphyxia group was significantly lower than the mean of 162 ml/kg/min in the normal group. The possible relationship of birth asphyxia and pulmonary hypoperfusion in the aetiology of the idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome is discussed.