PULMONARY EXCRETION OF CARBON-MONOXIDE IN THE HUMAN INFANT AS AN INDEX OF BILIRUBIN PRODUCTION .1. EFFECTS OF GESTATIONAL AND POSTNATAL AGE AND SOME COMMON NEONATAL ABNORMALITIES

Using a single pass, flow-through system, the pulmonary excretion rate of endogenously produced carbon monoxide was measured as an index of bilirubin production in human infants with varying gestational and postnatal ages and with a variety of clinical abnormalities. No significant difference in V̇ECO was found related to sex or gestational age. The mean V̇ECO for a small group of Oriental infants was significantly increased. V̇ECO decreased with increasing postnatal age. As expected, infants with hemolytic disease of the newborn had a markedly increased mean V̇ECO. Infants with jaundice of unknown etiology also had an elevated mean V̇ECO, implying that increased bilirubin production may be a factor contributing to the nonphysiologic" bilirubinemias of these infants. © 1979 The C. V. Mosby Company."