AMNIOTIC FLUID OPTICAL DENSITY AND NEONATAL RESPIRATORY OUTCOME

A simple, rapid, economical, and accurate test to assess fetal pulmonary maturity on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week, is urgently needed. A 15-minute test has been developed that correlates well with fetal pulmonary maturity.Optical dinsity (OD) readings at 650 nm of ≥ 0.15 in pigment-free, centrifuged (2000 xg, 10 minutes) amniotic fluids obtained from gestations of 33 to 42 weeks correlate with fetal pulmonary maturity (131 of 131, 100%). When OD readings are < 0.15 in fluids from gestations of 24 to 40 weeks, and antepartum steroids are utilized, the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) s 8.3% (14 of 169). The true false-negative rate in this group is therfore unknown.