The significance of meconium staining

Meconium staining of the placenta and/or fetal body was present at birth in 10.3 per cent of 42,000 live-born infants, but present disproportionately in 18.1 per cent of 788 neonatal deaths. The neonatal mortality rate was 3.3 per cent in the stained group and 1.7 per cent in the nonstained group. Among infants who died, the incidence of erythroblastosis was quadrupled and that of cardiovascular malformation was doubled in the stained group. Meconium staining was associated with a decrease in the expected frequency of hyaline membranes and atelectasis even in premature infants; hypotheses for this phenomenon were presented. Meconium staining of the fetus or placenta requires several hours of exposure. As a hypothesis, the observed increase of deaths in stained neonates may be related to the stresses of cumulative or chronic hypoxia which may occur after the initial passage of meconium if delivery is prolonged.?23AUTHOR