Meconium-Stained Amniotic Fluid and Puerperal Infection

Puerperal infection describes any bacterial infection of the genital tract after delivery. It is the cause of 13% of pregnancy related deaths and the fifth leading cause of death. Some studies have addressed the role of meconium-stained amniotic fluid in puerperal infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between meconium-stained amniotic fluid and puerperal infection.

In this cohort study 300 pregnant women with gestational age≥37 weeks were divided in two groups. In case group amniotic fluid was meconium-stained and in control group amniotic fluid was clear. All patients were delivered by cesarean section and received prophylactic preoperative antibiotics. Patients were checked for puerperal infection within 40 days. All data was analyzed with SPSS.

Among 150 patients in case group 2 women (1.3%) developed a fever but none in the control group showed any signs of infection. There was no significant statistical difference between case and control groups (P>0.05).

Although this study, revealed no relation between meconium-stained amniotic fluid and puerperal infection, but, since both groups had received antibiotics, further comprehensive studies are needed to elucidate the role of meconium-staining of the amniotic fluid in the occurrence of post-partum sepsis.