TY - JOUR T1 - Developmental pattern of 3-oxo-Δ<sup>4</sup> bile acids in neonatal bile acid metabolism JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition JO - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed SP - F52 LP - F56 DO - 10.1136/fn.77.1.F52 VL - 77 IS - 1 AU - Toshiro Inoue AU - Akihiko Kimura AU - Kumiko Aoki AU - Masahiko Tohma AU - Hirohisa Kato Y1 - 1997/07/01 UR - http://fn.bmj.com/content/77/1/F52.abstract N2 - AIMS To investigate whether a fetal pathway of bile acid synthesis persists in neonates and infants. METHODS 3-oxo-Δ4 bile acids were determined qualitatively and quantitatively in the urine, meconium, and faeces of healthy neonates and infants, using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. RESULTS The mean percentage of 3-oxo-Δ4 bile acids in total bile acids in urine at birth was significantly higher than that at 3 or 7 days, and at 1 or 3 months of age. The concentration of this component in meconium was significantly higher than that in faeces at 7 days and at 1 or 3 months of age. CONCLUSIONS The presence of large amounts of urinary 3-oxo-Δ4 bile acids may indicate immaturity in the activity of hepatic 3-oxo-Δ4-steroid 5β-reductase in the first week of postnatal life. Large amounts of this component in meconium may be due to the ingestion of amniotic fluid by the fetus during pregnancy. ER -