The Clinical Efficacy of Lamellar Body Count to Predict Fetal Lung Maturity

Abstract

From July 1994 through August 1995, 31 patients who delivered before 37 weeks gestation at the Ajou University Hospital were tested for lamellar body count in the amniotic fluid. The obtained results are summarized as follows; 1. Lamellar body count was associated with 1 minute Apgar score(p=0.02). 2. There was no sexual, gestational and birth weight differences in the incidence of respi- ratory distress syndrome. 3. Lamellar body count showed that the positive predictive value for respiratory distress syndrome was 90.0 %, the negative predictive value was 95.2 %, and the sensitivity was 90.0 %, and the specificity was 95.2 %, therefore it may be regarded as more accurate than other previously employed methods. This study suggests that the lamellar body count reflects fetal lung maturity sufficiently to assure that the neonate will not develop respiratory distress syndrome, and can be used as a quick screening test or one in series of tests for thorough assessment of fetal lung maturity.