STUDIES ON OESTROGEN METABOLISM IN NEWBORN BOYS

Abstract

A method is described for estimation of estrone, estradiol-17[beta] and estriol in meconium, which represents a slight modification of the urinary estrogen method of Brown (1955). The method was applied to the study of fecal estrogen in boys in the first few days of life. Relatively enormous amounts of estriol were found in the meconium. The values rapidly fell from ca. 100mg/kg on the 2nd day of life to 0.5mg/kg on the 6th day. On the average 15% of the estriol was excreted in a "free" form. Attempts to isolate or detect Kober chromogens other than estriol in pooled extracts of meconium were unsuccessful.