HIGH-RESOLUTION PROTON NUCLEAR-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE STUDIES OF URINE FROM ASPHYXIATED NEWBORN-INFANTS

High-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was use d to study human urine obtained from 10 normal babies and twenty babie s with various degrees of neonatal asphyxia, respiratory distress synd rome (RDS), and meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). All sick babies sh owed different degrees of oxygen deficiency, indicated by an obvious i ncrease of the lactate signal level in the urine spectra. Changes in t he concentration of other urinary metabolites produced from the citric acid cycle were also observed. In extremely serious cases, the signal s of some of the major components, including citrate, ac-ketoglutarate , and succinate, simply disappeared. The spectra of urine, serum, and CSF of an infant suffering from SIDS showed common characteristics of the metabolites.