The Leukocyte Count in the New-Born With Dehydration Fever

Abstract

The purpose of these observations was to determine whether or not an increase in the leukocyte count accompanies the transient fever which frequently occurs in the new-born during the first week of life. It has long been thought that this fever may be due to dehydration. Holt,1 in 1895, pointed out that it occurred in infants who had lost a great deal of weight (a part of which, presumably, is due to water loss), and that it could be cured by the administration of fluids. In a recent paper,2 it was shown that the transient fever of the new-born is associated with a decrease in the plasma water, as indicated by an increase in the protein concentration of serum, determined refractometrically. The oral administration of warm water results in a drop in the temperature to normal within from thirty to ninety minutes. This is accompanied by an increase in the water content of the blood, as shown by a fall in the serum protein concentration and the red cell count.3 In infants with fever due to infections, the serum proteins are not increased, and no significant fall in temperature follows water gavage despite the fact that this procedure is followed by an increase in the blood water.Bacon, Novy, and Eppler4 in a study of the leukocyte count in dehydration fever in animals, induced fever by rapidly injecting hypertonic salt solutions into the femoral vein of dogs after the manner described by Balear, Sansum and Woodyatt.8 At the end of the first hour, they found a slight leukopenia with a relative increase of the small lymphocytes. Following this there was a steady rise in the leukocyte count to levels far above normal. The increase was almost wholly confined to the polymorphonuclear leukocytes.