[Placental function and foetal lung maturity (author's transl)]

The placental function and foetal lung maturity were simultaneously assessed before delivery in 48 high-risk pregnancies, the actual time varying from case to case. A statistically significant correlation was found between placental function and foetal lung maturity. Since the actual time of investigation often lay back several weeks before delivery, no significant connection was detected between the state of foetal lung maturity at the time of amniocentesis and the clinical picture in respect to lung maturity of the infant at birth. The discrepancy is tabulated and possible causative factors are discussed.