ELEVATED ERYTHROPOIETIN LEVELS IN CORD-BLOOD OF NEWBORNS WITH DOWNS-SYNDROME

Plasma erythropoietin (Ep) was determined in umbilical cord blood in 1 8 infants with Down's syndrome. The 16 infants with Down's syndrome wh o were delivered after labor had significantly elevated plasma Ep leve ls compared to 36 control infants born after labor (p < 0.001). Six of the ten infants with Down's syndrome who had their packed cell volume (PCV) measured in the first 24 h of life were polycythemic based on a PCV of greater than or equal to 0.65. The presence of congenital hear t disease in 9 of the 18 infants with Down's syndrome was not associat ed with a higher plasma Ep or PCV levels. Plasma Ep was correlated wit h neonatal PCV in the combined group of control and Down's syndrome in fants (p = 0.003). Increased plasma Ep levels observed in infants with Down's syndrome suggested Hypoxemia chronic fetal hypoxemia as a like ly explanation for the high incidence of neonatal polycythemia observe d in this group.