Severe meconium aspiration syndrome is not caused by aspiration of meconium

• Published in: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Vol. 185; no. 4; pp. 931 - 938
• Main Authors: Ghidini, Alessandro, Spong, Catherine Y.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Mosby, Inc 01.10.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Asphyxia - diagnosis; Asphyxia - epidemiology; Biological and medical sciences; Delivery. Postpartum. Lactation; Disorders; Female; Fetal Diseases - diagnosis; Fetal Diseases - epidemiology; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; hypoxia; Infant, Newborn; infection; intrauterine asphyxia; Meconium aspiration syndrome; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome - epidemiology; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome - etiology; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome - physiopathology; Medical sciences; neonatal respiratory distress; Pregnancy; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Syndrome; neonatal respiratory distress; hypoxia; infection; Meconium aspiration syndrome; intrauterine asphyxia; Human; Oxygen; Respiratory disease; Aspiration; Asphyxia; Differential diagnostic; Infection; Newborn diseases; Newborn; Etiology; Meconium; Respiratory distress; Fetus; Hypoxia
• ISSN: 0002-9378; 1097-6868
• DOI: 10.1067/mob.2001.116828

Meconium aspiration syndrome can present clinically with different degrees of severity, ranging from a mild form of respiratory compromise to severe forms that may result in perinatal death despite mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. However, advances in our knowledge concerning meconium aspiration syndrome have revealed that most cases of severe meconium aspiration syndrome are not in fact causally related to the aspiration of meconium but rather are caused by other pathologic processes occurring in utero, primarily chronic asphyxia and infection. Proper understanding of the causative processes underlying fetal or neonatal compromise in these cases is essential to direct future research into preventive or therapeutic treatments and for counseling of the parents of an affected child. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:931-8.)