Meconium-stained amniotic fluid and risk for cerebral palsy in preterm infants

Objective To estimate the risk for cerebral palsy in preterm infants in relation to the presence of meconium in the amniotic fluid (AF). Methods A cohort study was conducted of 404 consecutive preterm infants delivered between 24 and 33 weeks' gestation at a single institution. Socindemographic and clinical data were collected at birth. The diagnosis of cerebral palsy was made at 2 years' corrected age. Politomous logistic regression models were used to evaluate the odds for cerebral palsy while adjusting for potential confounders. Results The overall prevalence of cerebral palsy among survivors was 11.6% (40/345). The cerebral palsy rate was 41.2% (7/17) among infants who were meconium-stained at birth and 10% (33/328) among those who were not ( P = .006 by Fisher exact test). After adjustment for potential confounders (gestational age and fetal gender), the odds ratio of cerebral palsy among infants delivered to women with meconium-stained AF was 6.9 (95% confidence interval 2.32, 20.81, P = .001) relative to those delivered to women with clear AF. Conclusion The results of the present study support the view that the presence of meconium in the AF is a gestational age-independent risk factor for cerebral palsy among preterm infants.