Yield of meconium in non-vigorous neonates undergoing endotracheal suctioning and profile of all neonates born through meconium-stained amniotic fluid: a prospective observational study

ABSTRACTBackground: Delivery room management of infants born via meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) is quite controversial. No study has tried to quantify the amount of meconium that can be aspirated from the trachea of a non-vigorous neonate born through MSAF.Aims: To study the yield of meconium in non-vigorous neonates born through MSAF undergoing endotracheal (ET) suctioning.Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted from 1 March 2015 to 31 October 2015. A total of 760 neonates born through MSAF were enrolled. All non-vigorous neonates underwent ET suctioning. Meconium aspirated was quantified as nil (no meconium aspirated), insignificant (when only streaks of meconium were present in the ET tube), minimal (when the whole length of ET tube was filled with meconium) and significant (when the whole ET tube was filled with meconium and it poured into the suction tubing or when repeat suctioning was required).Results: The amount of meconium aspirated from the trachea was nil to insig...