During the second and third trimesters increasing activities of the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase are to be found in human amniotic fluid. At term (37 to 42 weeks), a very steep rise in amniotic fluid pyruvate kinase can be noticed, which may serve as an additional prenatal indicator of fetal maturity. The presumable main sources of the enzyme in amniotic fluid are the epithelium cells of t...

This study (1) included one hundred and forty-one vigorous babies born through meconium stained amniotic fluid, of which 36.9% (52) babies developed respiratory distress. Of the 52 babies who developed respiratory distress 19.23%(10 babies) developed meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). In this study, it was observed factors like caesarean section and thick meconium increased risk of respiratory...

Background: The significance of meconium in amniotic fluid is a widely debated subject. Traditionally meconium has been viewed as a harbinger of impending or ongoing fetal compromise; however some investigators believe that it is not associated with fetal hypoxia, acidosis or fetal distress. Others have found lower Apgar scores in meconium stained neonates. Objectives: To study the correlation ...

Amniotic fluid at 15-20 weeks contains high concentrations of microvillar enzymes which serve as markers for the prenatal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. We found that these enzymes were mostly bound to amniotic fluid particulate fraction which eluted in the void volume on Sepharose 6B chromatography and precipitated in ultracentrifugation at 100,000g. Electron microscopy showed that the particul...

A retrospective analysis of 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores of patients at term gestation (37 to 42 weeks) with evidence of clinical intra-amniotic infection and meconium-stained amniotic fluid was performed. The patients were selected from the labor and delivery records of two Detroit hospitals during the study period from January 1988 through May 1994. The author suggests that the presence of cl...

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE The rationale for in utero repair of myelomeningocele has been supported experimentally by the observation of preserved neural function after prenatal closure of surgically created defects compared with nonrepaired controls. The mechanism of injury to the exposed neural elements is unknown. Postulated mechanisms include trauma to the herniated neural elements or progressive i...

OBJECTIVE Assess the association between meconium-stained amniotic fluid and chorioamnionitis or endometritis in term pregnant women. MATERIAL AND METHOD A five-year retrospective study was undertaken between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2003. One thousand seventy-nine pregnant women who delivered at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Phramongkutklao Hospital were included in the ...

Plasma endothelin 1 concentrations were determined in infants with meconium stained amniotic fluid. Plasma endothelin 1 concentration in the study group (5.23 pg/ml) was statistically higher than that in the control group (1.12 pg/ml). Cord blood pH and base excess values were significantly lower in infants with meconium stained amniotic fluid when compared with the control group. There was no ...

Although the pathway for fetal defecation exists, this does not usually occur. In most cases the first defecation occurs postnatally; the bile-stained fecal matter is called meconium. In 10 15% of all deliveries, the neonate's amniotic fluid is meconium-stained, indicating some amount of in utero defecation. Even though about one-third of such neonates will have some meconium in their lungs, on...

Perhaps the most significant changes in airway management over the recent years have been in the management of an infant delivered through meconium- stained amniotic fluid( MSAF). MSAF occurs in approximately 10℅ to 20℅ of all deliveries and increases to over 30℅ in deliveries after 42 weeks gestation. Meconium aspiration syndrome ( MAS) occurs in about 2℅ to 5℅ of these cases with a high morta...