title: Determination of amniotic fluid palmitic acid concentration for the estimation of fetal lung maturity.
abstract: Palmitic acid concentrations in amniotic fluid (AF) were determined in 135 patients with normal and pathological pregnancies between the 27th and 42nd week of gestation. There was a sharp rise in the mean palmitic acid concentration after the 34th weeks of gestation from 2.7 mug/ml to 9.9 mug/ml at term. This increase is almost identical with the rise of AF-lecithin. It was found that between 70% and 100% of AF-palmitic acid originates from lecithin. 65 patients were delivered within 24 h after amniotic fluid sampling. 7 infants of these patients developed a respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). In all cases with RDS AF-palmitic acid concentration was far below 5 mug/ml. Assuming an AF-palmitic acid concentration greater than 5 mug/ml for characterising fetal lung maturity (=no RDS), there were no false negative results, but 16% false positive results. However, the determination of AF-palmitic acid concentration seems to be a most reliable method for the assessment of fetal lung maturity.
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology*; D008470:Meconium / Q000032:analysis; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010169:Palmitic Acids