INTRODUCTION. 11 



have already published 1 in discussing an entirely different subject, 

 namely, the metabolism per square meter of body-surface, shows that 

 new-born infants have a relatively low heat-production per square meter 

 of body-surface. The calorific needs for these infants may therefore 

 be legitimately considered as extraordinarily low. If we compute the 

 calories required for a new-born infant on the basis of the experiments 

 previously published by us, we find that the daily heat-output of a 

 quiet, resting new-born infant of approximately 3.76 kilograms cor- 

 responds to the oxidation of about 17 grams of fat. Since the total 

 loss in weight during the first few days is 200 to 300 grams, it can be 

 seen that only a small proportion of this loss can consist of organized 

 body-tissue, such as fat. Even if the entire energy output were derived 

 from the combustion of carbohydrate, the amount katabolized, i. e., 

 approximately 40 grams, or about twice the amount corresponding to 

 the katabolism of fat, would still be too small to account for this loss 

 in body-weight. The relatively small amounts of protein katabolized 

 may properly be disregarded in discussing this phase of the total 

 metabolism. Hence the only other alternative we deal with here is 

 the loss of a large amount of water. 



In the foregoing considerations, however, the assumption is made 

 that the infant is undergoing complete starvation. As a matter of fact, 

 a certain, although admittedly deficient, amount of nourishment is 

 obtained from the small amount of colostrum available. This would, 

 in part at least, tend to retard any physiological loss in weight and a 

 consideration of this fact only accentuates the contention that the loss 

 in weight, per se, can not be an accurate index of the food require- 

 ment of the new-born infant. 



Benedict and Talbot, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Pub. No. 201, 1914, p. 157; also, Am. Journ. 

 Diseases of Children, 1914, 8, p. 1. 



