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Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of MAS
By Lisa A. Goldstein
When Dr. Avroy Fanaroff's son, Jonathan, was born, he was blue and had difficulty breathing. He was diagnosed with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), and spent three extremely ill weeks in the NICU.
"He was treated with oxygen via a hood over his head and antibiotics," says Dr. Fanaroff, physician-in-chief at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. "He received IV feeding and had a catheter placed in his umbilical artery."
Now for the good news, and even better news: Although Jonathan turned blue with feeds for some time, he made a full recovery with no residual effects. Also, his experience with MAS occurred 39 years ago. Now "the survival and long-term outcome is excellent, and the frequency of MAS has been reduced significantly," Dr. Fanaroff says.
Even though there are fewer cases of MAS in 2008, it still occurs. The more you know about it, the more prepared you'll be.
Meconium is a thick, green fluid found in the lower small and large intestine of the fetus from the second trimester on, says Dr. Alan Hirschman, a pediatrician in private practice in Riverdale, N.Y. It may be passed into the amniotic fluid spontaneously, but more importantly as a response to fetal distress, it can cause specifically low oxygen levels in the blood and brain during labor.
"Meconium aspiration syndrome occurs when this thick fluid is breathed in by the fetus or by the baby during or after delivery," Dr. Hirschman says. "If it goes beyond the vocal cords, it may then be transferred into the air passages and air sacs of the lungs, interfering with air passage and oxygen transfer to the bloodstream and body tissues, and leading to significant respiratory distress soon after birth. It can go on to cause permanent lung damage, chronic medical problems and even death."
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