Association of clinical intra-amniotic infection and meconium.
The objective of this study was to determine the rate of intra-amniotic infection in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid compared to controls. With a retrospective case-controlled study design, we compared 100 pregnant women with meconium to 100 pregnant women without meconium for the development of intra-amniotic infection. Patients delivered between September 1 and December 31, 1990. Exclusion criteria were active infection prior to labor or antibiotic use within the 7 days prior to delivery. We diagnosed clinical intra-amniotic infection in patients with ruptured membranes by a maternal temperature 100.4 degrees F or higher and any two of the following: maternal or fetal tachycardia, uterine tenderness, white blood cell count 10,500 mm3 or more, or foul-smelling amniotic fluid. Demographic variables, labor characteristics, maternal infectious morbidity, and neonatal outcome were analyzed using the Wilcoxin rank test, chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. The rate of clinical intra-amniotic infection was significantly higher in women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid (8%) compared with women with no meconium (2%) (p = 0.05).
Wen
T S
TS
University of Texas Health Science Center, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproduction Sciences, LBJ General Hospital, Houston 77026.
Eriksen
N L
NL
Blanco
J D
JD
Graham
J M
JM
Oshiro
B T
BT
Prieto
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D001424:Bacterial Infections; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008470:Meconium; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies