Le retentissement cardiaque de la polycythémie néo-natale (jumeaux) et post-natale (enfants uniques)

Abstract

Seven cases of acute and severe right cardiac overloading have been observed one case in a monovular twin and 6 cases in single newborn infants, beginning 2 or 3 days after birth. In 2 cases, there was a significant increase (25% and 30%) in red cell volumes, as measured by Cr51. The heart failure (indicated by dyspnea, cyanosis, systolic murmur, gallop rhythm and ecg signs of right overload) was dramatically improved with the withdrawal of blood. While neonatal polycythemia in monovular twins is obviously due to intrauterine transfer of blood (as proved by the anatomical study of anastomosis: Falkner and al.), the postnatal polycythemia in single newborn infants remains unexplained. Attention is called to the development of erythropoietins in the fetus of the sheep during the last part of the pregnancy. Controls of normal newborn were not studied, as the radiation effect of Cr51 in the neonatal organism is not yet clear. Rh-infants were chosen for comparison because the isotope was further removed by exchange transfusion.