All issues > Volume 31(12); 1988

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1988;31(12):1580-1587. Published online December 31, 1988.

A Clinical Study of Meconium Stained Baby and Culture of the Tracheal and Gastric Meconium.

Dong Ryong Lee¹, Sung Ho Bae¹, Yeon Kyun Oh¹, San Ho Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicin, Won Kwang University, Iri, Korea

Received: June 2, 1988;  Accepted: July 30, 1988.

Abstract

Among the total of 3,102 newborns delivered at Won Kwang University Hospital from September 1984 to December 1986, a clinical study was performed of meconium stained baby and culture of the tracheal and gastric meconium. The results were as follows: 1) The incidence of meconium staining was 8.8% (272 cases) and the positive rate of meconium culture was 22.8% (62 cases). 2) The cultures of tracheal and gastric meconium showed E-coli (21 cases), Staphylococcus (15 cases), and Streptococcus (10 cases) in the order of mentioned. 3) As the gestational age increased, the incidence of meconium staining was higher, 5.8% in those less than 37weeks, 8.5% ih those during 38-42weeks, and 19.4% in those over 42weeks, but the positive rate of meconium culture was of little significance. 4) In the groups that the birth weight is 2,001-2,500gm and 3,501-4,000gm, the incidence of meconium staining was 11.9% and 12.1%, and the positive rate of meconium culture was 31.6% and 28.8%, somewhat high. 5) According to mode of delivery, the incidence of meconium staining was high in vacuum delivery (18.0%) and the positive rate of meconium culture was high in breech delivery (50%). 6) The incidence of meconium staining related to labor duration was 7.7% within 24 hours, 46.5% over 24 hours, and the positive rate of meconium culture was 17.2% within 24 hrous, 55% over 24 hours, and those were of significance. 7) The incidence of meconium staining was higher in the primiparous (12.3%) than the multiparous (4.1%), and the positive rate of meconium culture was of no significance 8) Less than 6 Apgar score, given at 1-and 5-min after birth, the meconium stained group (16.9%, 8.1%), especially positive group of meconium culture (25.8%, 14.5%) was higher incidence than non-meconium stained group (9.1%, 3.2%). 9) Meconium aspiration syndrome occurred at 4.4% of the meconium stained babies and was higher incidence in the positive group of meconium culture (12.9%) than in the negative group (1.9%). 10) The neonatal death rate was 1.5% in the group of non-meconium stained babies, 2.2% in the group of meconium stained babies, and 3.2% in the posivive group of meconium culture.

Keywords :Meconium staining, Meconium culture