[Oral medication in premature infants? Physical properties of liquid drug preparations].

The aim of our study was to investigate a possible connection of oral medication administered to preterm infants and the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis. Therefore, we measured pH, surface tension, colloid osmotic pressure and osmolality of 66 liquid drugs distributed in Germany. Most of the preparations had neutral or faint acid pH. Most drugs were hyperosmolar, we found osmolalities as high as 16,850 mOsm/l. Only 8 drugs had physiological osmolality. The colloid osmotic pressure ranged from 0 to 57 mm Hg. Surface tension was as low as 23.3 mN/m in alcoholic, as high as 76,3 mN/m in water solution. The effect of water dilution on surface tension and drop volume is shown by a linear dilution of Novodigal.