Meconium-stained amniotic fluid as a risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis in very low-birth weight preterm infants: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) is a risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants.

Materials and methods: The retrospective study was conducted at the Neonatal Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2010 to October 2016. The maternal and neonatal characteristics in cases of very low-birth weight infants born prior to 34 weeks of gestation were collected and compared between the MSAF and non-MSAF groups.

Results: In the present study, 461 medical records of very low-birth-weight preterm infants were reviewed. A total of 41 (8.9%) infants were born to mothers with MSAF; in all, 180 infants were included in the study. Demographic characteristics and neonatal complications in the MSAF (n = 30) and non-MSAF groups (n = 150) were compared. A higher incidence of NEC (26.7% versus 10%, χ² = 4.825, p = .028) was found in the MSAF group than in the non-MSAF group. Logistic regression analysis showed that MSAF (OR = 3.385, 95% CI: 1.349–8.492, p = .009) and sepsis (OR = 3.538, 95% CI: 1.442–8.679, p = .006) were independent risk factors for NEC.

Conclusions: MSAF might be a risk factor for NEC in very-low-birth-weight infants. MSAF and sepsis contribute to the development of NEC.

Keywords:

• Meconium-stained amniotic fluid
• necrotizing enterocolitis
• preterm
• risk factor
• very low birth weight

Disclosure statement

The authors confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication, and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Chongqing Municipal Administration of Human Resources and Social Security (Cx2017107), the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant no. 81601323], and the Natural Science Foundation Project of Chongqing Science and Technology Commission [cstc2015jcyjA10089].