Changes in Amniotic Fluid Phospholipids On Treatment with Glucocorticoids to Prevent Respiratory Distress Syndrome

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Abstract
Amniotic fluid was obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis in 51 women in the 29th–36th week of pregnancy. the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio was determined. in 28 patients, the ratio was 2.2 in 4 of the patients in the betamethasone‐treated group and in one of the controls. the percentage of palmitic acid in the lecithin increased concomitantly with increasing lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio. These results suggest that glucocorticoid‐induced acceleration of fetal pulmonary maturation may be reflected in the amniotic fluid as changes in its phospholipid composition. the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio was found to be >2.2 in 23 patients at the first amniocentesis. in such cases treatment with glucocorticoids can be avoided.

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