Intrauterine meconium aspiration in an extremely premature infant

Sir .—Typically, the infant with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a term or postterm neonate with a birth weight exceeding 2500 g. In a series of 88 meconium-stained infants, Gregory et al 1 found a mean birth weight of 2911 g and a mean gestation of 290 days or 10 days after the expected delivery date. 1 After reviewing 125 cases of meconium-stained infants, Ting and Brady 2 reported similar results. In utero meconium passage occurs in only 3% of infants of gestational age younger than 36 weeks. 3 In the past, meconium aspiration has been regarded entirely as a postnatal event. We report an unusual case of intrauterine meconium aspiration in a premature infant. Patient Report .—A 610-g white male neonate was born to a 24-year-old gravida 2, para 0010 mother at 27 weeks' gestation by dates and examination. The pregnancy was complicated by maternal diethylstilbestrol exposure, hyperemesis, and