The influence of acidity on hematocrit and hemoglobin values in newborn infants immediately after delivery.

In a previous work concerning the dependence of the hemoconcentration on blood pH we described significant increases of hematocrit and hemoglobin values in acidotic newborn infants immediately post partum [1], The pH values then measured represented, of course, a measure of the momentary hydrogen ion concentrations in the samples investigated; they gave, however, no Information about the proportion of organic acids (formed predominantly by glycolysis) in the total acidity. The present study has two major objectives in view. On the one hand, it should clarify whether and to what extent a conformity of the effects of total acidity and metabolic acidity on the hemoconcentration in the neonate exists. On the other hand, it should answer the question äs to whether the oxygen partial pressure in the cord blood of the neonate correlates in any way with the hemoconcentration, since increases in blood acidity leading to hemoconcentration are very frequently the consequence of hypoxic episodes during labor.