PREDICTING FETAL LUNG MATURITY BY VISUAL ASSESSMENT OF AMNIOTIC-FLUIDTURBIDITY - COMPARISON WITH FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION ASSAY

We prospectively studied 159 patients having clinically indicated amni ocentesis, Amniotic fluid (3 to 5 mL) was placed in a nonheparinized g lass tube, This sample was then classified as turbid (indicating matur ity) or clear (indicating immaturity) on the basis of a single examine r's ability to read newspaper print through the glass tube, These resu lts were then compared with fluorescence polarization values for the s ame sample. A value of 70 mg/g was considered positive evidence of fet al lung maturity, By study criteria, 62 samples (39%) indicated immatu rity and 97 (61%) indicated maturity, Turbidity correctly identified 8 9 samples that produced fluorescence polarization values of at least 7 0 mg/g. Turbidity as a predictor of fetal lung maturity when compared with fluorescence polarization assay has a 91% positive and 87% negati ve predictive value, Visual inspection of amniotic fluid may be of val ue in areas where sophisticated methods are unavailable.