Amniotic fluid phosphatidylglycerol: a predictor of fetal lung maturity using conventional one-dimensional thin-layer...

We present a retrospective comparative analysis of 209 amniotic fluid samples and the neonatal outcome. The presence of phosphatidylglycerol in 159 transabdominal amniotic fluid samples and the associated lung status indicated a 98% prediction rate for absence of respiratory distress syndrome with 1.8% false-positive results corrected to 0%. Twenty-nine vaginal pool samples were 72% predictive of outcome with false-positive results corrected to 14%. These cases were mild, and if a phosphatidylglycerol level of greater than 3% is used to indicate lung maturity, the corrected false-positive rate is 0%. False-negative results are also corrected and discussed. We believe that predicting neonatal respiratory distress syndrome by phosphatidylglycerol determination, using readily available conventional one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography, is clinically reliable and can aid in determining the maturity of the lung regardless of site of fluid collection.