Abstract
The basal metabolism of infants must be obtained during sleep and infants naturally sleep best when recently fed. Following the procedure employed by Bailey and Murlin 1 the infants of the present series were studied under those conditions while exposed in the respiration incubator 2 to an environing temperature of 27 to 29° C.
Studies on two premature infants were reported by Rubner and Langstein 3 in 1915 and a preliminary report of several cases has been made recently by Talbot. 4 The former authors found the metabolism of a 2 months' premature infant on the 27th day after birth to be 973 calories per sq. meter per 24 hours (Meeh-Rubner formula), or 40 calories per sq. meter per hour. This metabolism includes the normal muscular activity (crying) of the infant for the day. Bailey and Murlin found the basal as an average of 13 separate determinations on six infants born at term, within the age of 12 days, to be 23.7 calories per sq. meter per hour (Meeh-Rubner formula), or 27.3 calories for the Lissauer formula. Benedict and Talbot 1 found 25.5 calories per sq. meter (Lissauer) an hour as the average for 94 newborn infants at an average of two days.
The present report includes results on ten newborn infants all of whom were under 5 Ibs. 5 oz. at birth. Two (twins) were born at term, three at 8% months, one at 7% months and three, two of whom were twins, at 7 months. The average heat production (basal) was 24.63 calories per sq. meter (Lissauer) per hlouri The table epitomizes the results. Four of the ten, one a Czesarean, one a case of sclerema monatorum and two from prematurity only subsequently died.
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