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MAS; Meconium pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs)
Meconium aspiration syndrome is a serious condition in which a newborn breathes a mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid into the lungs around the time of delivery.
Meconium is the term used for the early feces (stool) passed by a newborn soon after birth, before the baby has started to digest breast milk (or formula).
In some cases, the baby passes stools (meconium) while still inside the uterus. This usually happens when babies are under stress because they are not getting enough blood and oxygen.
Once the meconium has passed into the surrounding amniotic fluid, the baby may breathe meconium into the lungs. This may happen while the baby is still in the uterus, or still covered by amniotic fluid after birth. The meconium can also block the infant's airways right after birth.
This condition is called meconium aspiration. It can cause breathing difficulties due to swelling (inflammation) in the baby's lungs after birth.
Risk factors that may cause stress on the baby before birth include:
Committee on Obstetric Practice, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 379: Management of delivery of a newborn with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. Obstet Gynecol. 2007;110:739.
ACOG Committee Obstetric Practice. ACOG Committee Opinion Number 346, October 2006: amnioinfusion does not prevent meconium aspiration syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 2006;108:1053.
Greenough A. Respiratory disorders in the newborn. In: Chernick V, Boat T, Wilmott R, Bush A, eds. Kendig's Disorders of the Respiratory Tract in Children. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2006:chap 18.
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