Plasma Creatinine Levels in Low-Birth-Weight Infants During the First Three Months of Life

In clinical practice, the plasma creatinine level is often used as an indicator of renal function. Plasma creatinine values have been reported in persons from 1 to 20 years of age1; however, the value in low-birth-weight infants during the first three months of life has not been established. With an increasing number of survivors in this group of infants, the appropriate management of fluid and electrolyte balance during the neonatal period often requires plasma creatinine levels as an indicator of renal function. In the course of various renal functional studies, our laboratory has accumulated data on plasma creatinine levels in a group of clinically stable, low-birth-weight infants during the first three months of life; these data are the subject of this report.