Abstracts from papers

Abstract

S OF PAPERS Hermaphroditism in Infancy and Childhood. R. A. McMahon. Children’s Medical Research Foundation, Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Sydney. (Sponsored by J. Steigrad). A survey of 72 cases of hermaphroditism, all patients at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London, during the years 1953 to 1962 inclusive, was presented and some of the basic problems discussed. All infants about whose sex any doubt exists at birth should be fully investigated immediately so that a firm early decision of sex can be made. Urinary steroid estimations and at least 2 methods of nuclear sexing are the basic investigations and endoscopy and radiography are helpful adjuncts in displaying anatomy but not in basic diagnosis. When doubt still exists, bilateral gonad biopsies are mandatory, even if this involves a laparotomy. Chromosome studies should be performed on all patients where there is any disagreement in the results of these tests. The main factor in the decision of the sex of rearing is the conformat~on of the external genitalia. Initial repair of genital abnormalities should be performed before the child begins to take note of sexual identity and these repairs should be completed if possible before school age. It would seem that the hazards of change of sex had been over-emphasized in the past, although in discussion it was obvious that too little was known about the later progress of these children. Preand Post-Prandial Blood Glucose Levels in Premature Infants. N. M. Newman, Paediatric Department, Royal Hobart Hospital. This paper is published in full in this issue. Hypoglycaemia in Infancy and Childhood. Professor R. Zetterstrom, Kronprinsessan Lovisas Barnsjukhus, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. The Glucose Tolerance Test in the Investigation of Neonatal Hypoglycaemia, J. S. Yu, Institute of Child Health, Sydney, (Sponsored by T. Stapleton). Glucose tolerance tests were performed on 9 infants found to have blood glucose levels less than 20 mg. per 100 ml. in the first 48 hours of life, during a biochemical survey of newborn babies at risk from hypoglucosaemia. A disappearance-rate constant was calculated. All the infants were asymptomatic at the time of the tolerance tests, but 3 infants subsequently developed syrn_otoms referable to persistently low blood glucose levels. The 6 infants who remained asymptomatic had disappearance rates within the normal range for their age. The 3 infants who later developed symptoms had abnormally high disappearance rates. The intravenous glucose tolerance test was considered a useful therapeutic and diagnostic test in the investigation of neonatal hypoglucosaemia and the results can be correlated with the later development of symptoms associated with low blood glucose levels. Dietary Sugars and Refractory Gastroenteritis. Valerie Burke, K. R. Kerry and Charlotte Andersonread by Valerie Burke. Gastroenterological Research Unit, Royal Children’s Hospital Research Foundation, Melbourne. This paper is published in full in this issue. The Effects of Experimental Dehydration, and Salt Depletion on General and Coronary Haemodynamics and Metabolism. G. Maxwell, Department of Child Health, University of Adelaide. Cardiac output (Fick) and coronary flow (N20 Fick) and vascular pressures were measured before and after the induction of a ‘low-salt’ syndrome in healthy dogs. The following statistically significant changes from