Gestational age and criteria of wellbeing on serum cortisol concentrations in preterm infants
| Reference | Gestational age (weeks) | n= | Criteria of “wellbeing” |
| 1 | 33.5; 31–35 (mean, range) | 13 | Mild or transient respiratory distress |
| 12 | 32.8; 28–36 (mean, range) | 15 | Not seriously ill |
| 13 | 33–36 (range) | 8 | Healthy mothers, uneventful peri- and postnatal course normal serum electrolytes, no respiratory distress |
| 18 | 28; 24–33 (mean, range) | 25 | No major congenital malformations, receiving less than 25% inspired oxygen not requiring assisted ventilation, tolerating full gastric feed |
| 14 | 33.5 (1.5) (mean SD) | 15 | pH 7.3–7.4, PaO2 50–70 Torr, PaCO2 <55 Torr, serum glucose 2.5–7.0 mmol/l, serum calcium ⩾2.0 mmol/l, haematocrit >40%, no respiratory distress |
| 15 | 29 (1.5) (mean SD) | 39 | No congenital anomalies, no family history of adrenal disorders, no current major acute illness, had not received inotropes or hormone treatment within 48 hours.Infants with mild hyaline membrane disease and apnoea of prematurity were included. Samples taken within 48 hours before onset of sepsis were excluded. |