Analysis of alveolar ventilation in the newborn.

Twelve healthy term infants were examined at the median ages of 2 1/2 and 26 hours. Their alveolar ventilation, efficiency of ventilation, functional residual capacity, and lung nitrogen elimination patterns were studied by means of a computerised nitrogen wash out method. The results showed that alveolar ventilation and functional residual capacity increased over the period studied. At the same time effective dead space decreased leaving minute ventilation unchanged. Distribution of ventilation did not change.