Amniotic Fluid Lamellar Body Count as a Predictor of Fetal Lung Maturity.

ABSTRACT

Assessment of fetal lung maturity can be done with various biochemical tests on amniotic fluid. In the present study, lamellar body count (LBC) was compared with the traditional shake bubble test (SBT), as LBC is a simple, reliable and cost-effective method to predict fetal lung maturity. This was a prospective study conducted on 50 patients with known last menstrual period (LMP), gestational age >28 weeks presenting in active phase of labor with intact membranes. Amniotic fluid was collected either through vaginal route or through amniocentesis and SBT and LBC were conducted on all samples. Newborns were watched for signs of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Fourteen babies developed RDS. i.e., one out of 34 babies with positive SBT, seven out of 10 with intermediate SBT, all six with negative SBT developed RDS. The LBC varied between 3,000-28,000/ml among the 14 babies with RDS. i.e., all cases with RDS had LBC <30,000/ml. This study showed that LBC with cut-off value of 30,000/ml to predict fetal lung maturity is superior to all other tests in terms of technique and cost-effectiveness.