Murase and Ishida studied preterm infants with early hypocarbia. These infants may be at risk for a number of problems. The authors are from Kakogawa Municipal Hospital in Kakogawa, Japan.
Patient selection: preterm infant with birthweight < 1,500 grams admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit
Criteria for early hypocarbia: PaCO2 < 3.3 kPa (25 mm Hg) in 2 or more specimens taken at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after delivery.
Risk factors:
(1) history of maternal unintended fetal loss
(2) birthweight < 750 grams
Associations:
(1) late onset periventricular leukomalacia (onset 15 days or more after birth)
(2) cerebral palsy, often of a spastic type
(3) septicemia (Table II)
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