THE CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM OF THE NORMAL NEW-BORN INFANT

Abstract

It was originally our object to study the absorption and metabolism of carbohydrates in normal, newly born infants. In reviewing the literature to determine the blood sugar content during fasting in newly born infants, we found only a meager number of reports. A study of these reports shows a rather wide variation in the technic and in the results obtained by the various investigators. It also seems to us that in most instances the number of determinations was too limited to permit conclusions. Cobliner,¹ in 1911, was the first to record blood sugar determinations for infants; these determinations, however, were made for infants from 9 to 21 days old. He employed the Bertrand method and found an average value of 0.085 per cent. Götzky² made determinations with the Bang micromethod on a number of newly born infants and found an average of 0.085 per cent. From his observations,