Treatment:

The newborn's mouth should be suctioned as soon as the head can be seen during delivery.

Further treatment is necessary if there is thick meconium staining and fetal distress. A tube is placed in the infant's trachea and suction is applied as the endotracheal tube is withdrawn. This procedure is repeated until meconium is no longer seen in the suction contents.

The infant may be placed in the special care nursery or newborn intensive care unit. Other treatments may include:

• Antibiotics to treat infection
• Breathing machine to keep the lungs inflated
• Use of a warmer to maintain body temperature
• Tapping on the chest to loosen secretions

If there have been no signs of fetal distress during pregnancy and the baby is a vigorous full-term newborn, experts recommend against deep suctioning of the windpipe for fear of causing a certain type of pneumonia. Occasionally, a saline solution is used to wash the airway of particularly thick meconium.

Expectations (prognosis):

In most cases, the outlook is excellent and there are no bad side effects.

In more severe cases, breathing problems may occur. They generally go away in 2 to 4 days. However, rapid breathing may persist for days.

An infant with severe aspiration who requires a breathing machine may have a more guarded outcome. Lack of oxygen in the uterus or from complications of meconium aspiration may lead to brain damage. The outcome depends on the degree of brain damage.

Meconium aspiration rarely leads to permanent lung damage.

Complications:

• Aspiration pneumonia
• Brain damage due to lack of oxygen
• Breathing difficulty that lasting for several days
• Collapsed lung
• Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn

Calling your health care provider:

If the baby is born outside of the hospital and shows any signs of distress, seek immediate medical care.