ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL INTRAAMNIOTIC INFECTION AND MECONIUM

The objective of this study was to determine the rate of intra-amnioti c infection in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid compared to controls. With a retrospective case-controlled study design, we com pared 100 pregnant women with meconium to 100 pregnant women without m econium for the development of intra-amniotic infection. Patients deli vered between September 1 and December 31, 1990. Exclusion criteria we re active infection prior to labor or antibiotic use within the 7 days prior to delivery. We diagnosed clinical intra-amniotic infection in patients with ruptured membranes by a maternal temperature 100.4-degre es-F or higher and any two of the following: maternal or fetal tachyca rdia, uterine tenderness, white blood cell count 10,500 mm3 or more, o r foul-smelling amniotic fluid. Demographic variables, labor character istics, maternal infectious morbidity, and neonatal outcome were analy zed using the Wilcoxin rank test, chi-square test, or Fisher's exact t est as appropriate. The rate of clinical intra-amniotic infection was significantly higher in women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid (8% ) compared with women with no meconium (2%) (p = 0.05).