title: [The relationship between palmitic acid and stearic acid on the pharyngeal secretions of the newborn (author's transl)].
abstract: The authors report on their study of the ratio of palmitic acid to stearic acid (P/S) in the pharyngeal secretions of the newborn before the sixth hour of life. Four groups of infants were studied: 78 infants used as controls who hac no respiratory distress, 36 with hyaline membrane disease, 16 with transitory respiratory distress and 5 with perinatal asphyxia. The aetiological diagnosis of the respiratory distress was based on clinical as well as radiological and biological criteria. The P/S ratio is always less than 3 with hyaline membrane disease and above 3 in asphyxias. In the control group and the group with transitory respiratory distress the ratio ranged between 1.3 and 14 which was evidence of false negative results, probably attributable to treatment with cortisone given to the mother in premature labour in a certain number of cases. Study of the P/S ratio in amniotic fluid and in the pharyngeal secretions of 27 children born by Caesarean operation embodies a contradiction in the results the newborns in whom the ratio in the amniotic fluid was greater than 3 never had respiratory distress although the ratio studied at the same time in the pharyngeal secretions was low and sometimes less than 3.
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis; D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000032:analysis*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006819:Hyaline Membrane Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000378:metabolism*; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013229:Stearic Acids / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010169:Palmitic Acids; D013229:Stearic Acids
vernacular_title: Le rapport acide palmitique sur acide stéarique dans les sécrétions pharyngées du nouveau-né.