ABSTRACT
Biochemical procedures are largely confined to investigations of fetal well-being in utero. Specific reports suggest that this spectrum of analyses should be extended to include procedures for monitoring the fetus during labor and those which give an indication of fetal lung maturity and the likelihood of respiratory distress syndrome in the newborn. Obstetricians faced with indications of fetal jeopardy, such as subnormal maternal urinary estrogen excretion or signs of “placental insufficiency,” are forced to decide whether to allow the pregnancy to continue with the risk that the fetus may die in utero. Also, to deliver a live fetus which may then die of respiratory distress syndrome (R.D.S) In such situations, a precise indication of the infant’s risk of developing R.D.S., if delivered at this time, is clearly of value. Lecithin concentration in amniotic fluid appears to be a sensitive index of fetal lung maturity and of the potential risk of R.D.S. developing in the neonate.
