THE PROBLEM

A summary of literature on changes in the blood picture of a newborn infant during the period immediately after birth shows that the number of erythrocytes and the haemoglobin value increase during this time. This is obvious from most of the investigations dealing with the subject. RASI and BOLZIE'L~LT found, moreover, that the reticulocytosis and niacrocytosis became more proiiouiiced in the course of the first 24 hours. FINDLAY found ail increase of the haematocrit value during the first post-natal hours. LIPPMAN as well as RASI and CELLEGHIK found an iccrease in the leucocyte value. The materials are, however inconiplete, and the investigation often made in a haphazard way. As pointed out previously, blood from the cord was in some investigations compared with capillary blood. In most cases no uniform time intervals have been observed, or the time intervals have been long. These remarks do not imply any criticism of the investigations mentioned above. Their aim has mostly been to elucidate other problems than changes in the blood picture of newborn infants, which thus constitute an incidental finding. LIPPMAN'S study is systematically done, and his material is suiliciently comprehensive. The time between birth and the age of t; hours has, however, been overlooked. KAIHA has observed regular intervals of time for determimtions of haemoglobin contents, and taken the second test not more than 4 hours after birth. The purpose of this investigation was originally to follow the erythrocyte and haemoglobin values immediately after birth. After it became obvious that these values diow a steady increase, the inve5tigations urere extended to comprise the leucocyte and differential blood picture too. The increase of red blood cells also gave occasion