Assessment of fetal lung maturity by colorimetric phospholipid determination without digestion

A previously described method for the determination of phospholipid concentration in amniotic fluid without digestion has been modified to make it more suitable for use in a routine laboratory. Results compare well with those by the original procedure. Results from nearly 70 amniotic fluids, collected at delivery, were compared with lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratios determined on the same fluids. Statistical analysis of these data showed that for the prediction of lung immaturity, determination of total phospholipid concentration was at least as good as the L/S ratio.