We appreciate the opportunity of responding to the betters of Dr. Allan Bloxsom and Dr. R. B. Tudor, and we would like to make the following comments:
First, concerning the duration of exposure of infants in the air lock, this was selected because of three factors. The first of these was the experience cited in Bloxsom's report on the use of the air lock (J.A.M.A., 146:1120, 1951) where 98% of a group of 50 full-term infants and 58% of 50 premature infants (not 44%, as noted in his letter) who required resuscitation were kept in the air lock for 12 hours or less.