title: Meconium-stained amniotic fluid in term pregnancies-a clinical view.
abstract: The objective of this study was to explore details of the clinical relationship between meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) in labour, abnormal fetal heart pattern and meconium aspiration (MA). This was a prospective study carried out in Princess Badeea Teaching hospital during a 6-month period from March to September 1997. During the study period 344 (8.5%) of the deliveries had MSAF (344 women). Continuous fetal heart monitoring was routinely used and 36 women with MSAF (10.5%) needed to be delivered by caesarean section because of fetal distress (diagnosed by abnormal fetal heart pattern) in early labour, compared with 0.95% in those with clear amniotic fluid (CAF), (P <0.00001). Many infants in the MSAF group had a low Apgar score and required ventilation at birth. Nineteen infants (5.5%) developed MA, three of whom (15.8%) died. We conclude that there is an association between MSAF, abnormal fetal heart pattern in labour and a low Apgar score and that it should be considered a high risk situation. MA a problem that occurs with particulate meconium was significantly related to abnormal fetal heart pattern and longer length of labour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jordan University of Science and Technology and Princess Badeea Teaching Hospital, Irbid.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alchalabi
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Abu-Heija
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: El-Sunna
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zayed
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Badria
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obeidat