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Previous Volume 353:946-948 September 1, 2005 Number 9 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Meconium, the fecal material that accumulates in the fetal colon throughout gestation, is a term derived from the Greek mekoni, meaning poppy juice or opium. Beginning with Aristotle's observation of the association between meconium staining of the amniotic fluid and a sleepy fetal state¹ or neonatal depression, obstetricians have been concerned about fetal well-being in the presence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

The passage of meconium normally occurs within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth. However, the passage of fetal meconium, resulting in meconium-stained amniotic fluid, occurs in approximately 12 percent of all deliveries. The meconium aspiration syndrome, associated . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

From Harbor–UCLA Medical Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA — both in Los Angeles.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Ehrenstein, V., Pedersen, L., Holsteen, V., Larsen, H., Rothman, K. J., Sorensen, H. T. (2007). Postterm Delivery and Risk for Epilepsy in Childhood. Pediatrics 119: e554-e561 [Abstract] [Full Text]