All issues > Volume 34(1); 1991

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1991;34(1):24-30. Published online January 31, 1991.

A clinical study on meconium-stained babies.

Cheol Ki Min¹, Sung Suk Bang¹, Chong Young Park¹, Hae Ran Lee¹, Choon Myung Ro¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Choonchun, Korea

Received: August 14, 1990;  Accepted: September 26, 1990.

Abstract

Among a total of 667 newborns delivered at Han Gang Sacred Heart Hospital from January 1988 to July 1989, a clinical study was done regarding meconium-stained babies. The results were summarized as follows: 1) The incidence of meconium staining was 25.9% (173 babies) and there was no difference of frequency in sex. 2) The higher the birth weigt and the gestational age, the higher the incidence of meconium-stained babies. 3) the incidence of meconium-stained babies was highest in the group of 21-25 year of maternal age and was more prevalent in primipara (30.6%) than multipara (18.1%). 4) The cases of Apgar scores at each one and five minutes below 6 were more frequently found in meconium-stained group than nonstained group. 5) The rate of meconium staining increased if the duration of the ruptre of membrane was longer than 24 hours. 6) Among the factors of pregnancies or maternal problems, preeclampsia and eclampsia were the most risky factors which were associated with meconium staining. 7) Among the laboratory findings of meconium-stained babies, 6.9% showed leukocytosis, 12.7% positive C-reactive protein, 8.7% pyuria, 18.5% positive bacterial culture on gastric juice aspirations, and 11.0% infiltration on chest roentgenogram.

Keywords :Meconium-stained babies;Meconium aspiration syndrome