Related Subjects:
|Cystic Fibrosis
|Sweat Test
|Osteoporosis
|Malabsorption
|Bronchiectasis
|Pseudomonas infection (Pseudomonas aeruginosa)
|Autosomal Recessive
|Genetic Mutations
|Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats CRISPR
🍼 About Meconium
- Meconium is the first bowel movement of a fetus or newborn, usually passed within the first 24–48 hours of life.
- It appears dark, thick, and tarry, composed of shed intestinal cells, lanugo (fine hair), mucus, bile, and swallowed amniotic fluid.
- Meconium is normally sterile and odourless, as the fetal gut is free of bacteria before birth.
- Its presence in the amniotic fluid may indicate fetal distress (e.g. hypoxia, acidosis), particularly if associated with abnormal CTG findings.
- Seen in ~15% of term births and up to 40% of post-term deliveries → more common in overdue pregnancies.
- Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS): occurs when meconium-stained fluid is inhaled into the lungs → chemical pneumonitis, surfactant inactivation, and respiratory distress.
- At delivery, if thick meconium is present, ensure careful airway clearance and readiness for neonatal resuscitation.
📌 Key Points
- Gross meconium staining plus signs of fetal distress → urgent obstetric intervention may be required.
- MAS is a leading cause of respiratory morbidity in neonates; management may require oxygen, CPAP, or ventilation in severe cases.
- Prevention: good intrapartum monitoring and prompt delivery when fetal compromise is suspected.
💡 Exam Pearl: Meconium in amniotic fluid ≠ always pathological. It is normal post-term, but becomes significant when combined with abnormal fetal heart rate patterns.
