Metabolic response to neonatal surgery.

The energy and protein metabolism of newborn infants differs from that of older individuals. Although energy expenditure and protein turnover are higher in newborn infants than in adults, the metabolic response to surgery in neonates has not been fully characterized. Preliminary studies indicate that metabolic response to operative stress is different in infants and adults: infants have an increased metabolic rate postoperatively for only 6 to 12 hours and do not have increased protein catabolism. More studies are needed in "stressed" newborn infants to further characterize substrate use and the metabolism of single organs.