title: High-performance liquid chromatography to measure lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio.
abstract: The amniotic fluid lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in 85 pregnant women of varying gestational ages to determine fetal lung maturity. Respiratory distress syndrome occurred in 14 of the 15 infants whose L/S ratio before birth was lower than 3.0. High-performance liquid chromatography for measurement of the amniotic fluid L/S ratio provides a sensitive index of the functional development of the fetal lung and therefore of the risk of the neonate developing respiratory distress syndrome.
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D001724:Birth Weight; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013109:Sphingomyelins