Physiological role of meconium during delivery

Women with green amniotic fluid (N = 495) delivered more quickly after membrane rupture (mean 2.7 h) than 495 controls with normal-coloured amniotic fluid (mean 4.6 h) whereas the labour in the first group lasted longer prior to membrane rupture. This difference was not caused by active treatment, difference in the gestational or size of the infants. In the light of our previous findings of immunoreactive oxytocin in meconium, our results may suggest that meconium serves as a fetal reservoir of biologically active compounds emptied into the amniotic fluid to expedite the termination of labour in fetal distress.