Meconium aspiration syndrome

We agree that the passage of meconium in utero is not always due to intrauterine asphyxia and it may be a purely physiological event due to increasing maturity of the fetus. However, a bacterial endotoxin has been recently implicated in "causing the preterm labor and passage of meconium in utero(3). It is to be emphasized that only those neonates who have respiratory\distress with radiological evidence of aspiration pneumonitis in the presence of meconium stained liquor can be labelled as meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). The authors have confused the readers by defining MAS as presence of meconium below the vocal cords. This condition is simply known as meconium aspiration and is a prelude to the development of MAS.