Neonatal Outcomes in Babies Born to Mothers with Meconium-Stained Amniotic Fluid
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61581/mjsp.v5i04.384Keywords:
Meconium aspiration syndrome, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, respiratory distress, neonatal outcome, perinatal depressionAbstract
Objective: This study set out to describe and compare the neonatal outcomes of babies delivered through thin versus thick meconium-stained liquor.
Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Multan, from 28 April 2024 to 27 October 2024. All neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit after delivery through meconium-stained liquor were enrolled consecutively and grouped as thin or thick MSL. Birth weight, gestational age, Apgar scores, Downes respiratory distress score, type of respiratory support, perinatal depression, MAS severity, and final clinical outcome were recorded and compared between the two groups using the chi-square and Fisher exact tests, with p<0.05 taken as significant.
Results: Of 125 neonates, 87 (69.6%) were born through thin MSL and 38 (30.4%) through thick MSL. Preterm delivery was more frequent in the thick MSL group (21.1% vs 5.7%, p=0.021), while birth weight distribution did not differ significantly between groups (p=0.67). A one-minute Apgar score below 7 was more common with thick MSL (50.0% vs 19.5%, p<0.001). Perinatal depression was recorded in 76.3% of the thick MSL group compared with 23.0% of the thin MSL group (p<0.001), and invasive mechanical ventilation was required more often in the thick MSL group (15.8% vs 2.3%, p=0.010). The severity grade of MAS did not differ significantly between the two groups (p=0.25). Overall, 90 neonates (72.0%) recovered without complication, 32 (25.6%) developed morbidity, and 3 (2.4%) died; adverse outcome (morbidity or death) was markedly more frequent in the thick MSL group (63.2% vs 12.6%, p<0.001), although mortality alone was not significantly different between groups (p=1.00).
Conclusion: Thick meconium staining was associated with a higher burden of preterm birth, low first-minute Apgar scores, perinatal depression, and the need for invasive ventilatory support, translating into a substantially higher composite morbidity rate than thin MSL.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Hafiza Sidra Fatima, Lubna Noor Baloch, Nidda Yaseen, Maryam Arif, Sadia Majeed, Abdul Rehman Asudais
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