INFANT ARTERIAL PRESSURE STUDY

Researchers form the Pediatric Department at the University of California performed a series of experiments on 113 newborns ranging from 1 to 3 days old. These experiments involved inserting catheters into the baby’s bellybutton and measuring the changes in the baby’s changes in arterial pressure as their feet are submerged in ice water. The researchers also strapped the babies to circumcision boards and tilted them upside down to see what changes when the blood rushes to their heads.

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While searching for information, it became clear that there is a lot that is still unknown about these studies. There were multiple different research articles published and all of them differed greatly from each other when it came to the details. The numbers of infants that were tested and how old they were varied in each article, but the base of the study was still relatively the same. There was no real motive or justification given for the study either. There was also no record of what happened to these babies after these tests had been done to note if there were any adverse effects. It is also unapparent whether the parents of these newborns had been informed of these tests.

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Sources:

Moss, Arthur J., George C. Emmanouilides, Forrest H. Adams, and Katok Chuang. “Response of Ductus Arteriosus and Pulomonary and Systemic Arterial Pressure to Changes in Oxygen Environment in Newborn Infants.” American Academy of Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics, (June 1, 1964).

Moss, Arthur J., Edward R. Duffie, and George Emmanouilides. “Blood Pressure and Vasomotor Reflexes in the Newborn Infant.” American Academy of Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics, (August 1, 1963).

Moss, Arthur J., Edward R. Duffie, and George Emmanouilides, and Forrest H, Adams. “Pulmonary Arterial Pressure Changes in Human Newborn Infants from Birth to 3 Days of Age.” The Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 65, No. 3 (September 1964): 327-333.