MECONIUM-LIKE SUBSTANCE IN MIDTRIMESTER AMNIOTIC-FLUID - SIGNIFICANCEFOR THE NEUROPSYCHOMOTOR EVOLUTION OF THE INFANT

The state at birth and during the neonatal period, as well as the neur opsychomotor evolution, of 56 children with a normal karyotype, whose midtrimester amniotic fluid had meconium-like substance but a normal a lpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, were compared to those of two groups of infants with a normal karyotype and clear midtrimester amniotic fluid. One of these groups included 85 children born to mothers who had a hi story of uterine bleeding prior to amniocentesis, while the other was composed of 139 infants whose mothers had no history of bleeding. Amon g the mothers of the 56 children whose midtrimester amniotic fluid had meconium-like substance, 55% reported uterine bleeding prior to amnio centesis. Meconium-like substance in the midtrimester amniotic fluid h as no prognostic value for abnormal neuropsychomotor evolution of the infant, provided that chromosomal aberrations are absent and the AFP l evel is normal.