Measurements of Oral and Gastric pH in Neonates.

Cho,  Eun Young; Roh,  Eui Jung; Lim,  Jae Woo; Cheon,  Eun Jung; Ko,  Kyong Og; Lee,  Young Hyuk; Kim,  Kyil Young

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Neonatology 2005;12(2):172-178.
Published online November 1, 2005.

Measurements of Oral and Gastric pH in Neonates.

Eun Young Cho, Eui Jung Roh, Jae Woo Lim, Eun Jung Cheon, Kyong Og Ko, Young Hyuk Lee, Kyil Young Kim

Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejon, Korea. koko@kyuh.co.kr

신생아에서 구강과 위 pH의 범위

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Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to measure the oral and gastric pH among preterm and term infants by the simple experimental method using pH paper. METHODS: This prospective study included a total of 60 neonates born at Konyang University Hospital from June 2004 to September 2004. Each neonate's oral and gastric pH levels were measured with pH paper at 6 hourly intervals on the first and the fifth day of life. 15 preterm infants were examined until twenty first day of life. RESULTS: The oral and gastric pH of 60 neonates were 6.3+/-0.5 and 4.1+/-1.0 on the first day and 6.0+/-0.3 and 3.9+/-0.9 on the fifth day, respectively. The preterm infant had lower oral and gastric pH of 6.4+/-0.6 and 4.3+/-1.1 on the first day and 6.0+/-0.2 and 4.2+/-1.0 on the fifth day, respectively in comparison to those of term infant's oral and gastric pH of 6.3+/-0.4, 4.0+/-0.9 on the first day and 6.1+/-0.3 and 3.7+/-0.8 on the fifth day, respectively. The gastric pH's of preterm infant on the first, fifth and twenty first day of life were 4.6+/-1.4, 4.3+/-1.0 and 4.2+/-1.0, respectively.
CONCLUSION
This study reports the value of neonates' oral and gastric pH on the first and fifth day of life. The average gastric pH of neonate is higher than that of adult's and preterm infant's gastric pH is higher than term infant's. The gastric pH of preterm infant decreased in time.

Key Words: Gastroesophageal reflux; Oral pH; Gastric pH