Failure of bacterial growth inhibition by amniotic fluid

The bactericidal properties of amniotic fluid normally protect fetuses from late gestational infections by bacteria. Recently, such infections were found responsible for nearly a third of the perinatal deaths in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This prompted an analysis of the antimicrobial activity of amniotic fluid in patients in that city. The antimicrobial activity of fluid from 53 women, collected at term, was measured by a semiquantitative plate-count technique. Only one of the fluid samples was bactericidal, 12 were bacteriostatic, and 40 were noninhibitory to bacterial growth.