Blood lactate dehydrogenase activity in newborn children

Arterial and venous blood samples from babies' umbilical cord vessels before lung breath beginning were used to measure arterial-venous difference between lactate dehydrogenase activity, pH and oxygen blood saturation (sO2). Enzyme activity was 735.4 +/- 90.8 U/L in venous blood and 672.0 +/- 108.1 U/L in arterial one, pH 7.21 +/- 0.06 and 7.32 +/- 0.06, sO2 32.9 +/- 12.7 and 56.5 +/- 18.3%, respectively. Reverse correlation between enzyme activity, pH and sO2 was found.