[Conservative management of the severe meconium aspiration syndrome]

Fifteen full term newborn infants with severe meconium aspiration syndrome and no evidence of hypoxic brain abnormalities, were prospectively followed under conservative treatment with oxygen given by hood at FiO2 > or = 70% (mean 80%) for periods of 12 hours to 4 days (mean 1.9 days). No significant rise in PaCO2 was recorded in these cases. Even though four patients had complications of their basic disease, consisting in pneumothorax, pneumomediatinum and atelectasis, all of them eventually recovered with usual medical management and the whole survival rate was 100%. Newborn infants with severe meconium aspiration syndrome without evidence of hypoxic insult to the central nervous system can be satisfactorily handled under a hood with high oxygen concentrations.