Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

When babies are stressed in the womb, they sometimes pass meconium in the amniotic fluid. When this happens, they may swallow the meconium-stained fluid into their lungs which may cause them to have poor oxygen levels and require resuscitation and significant breathing support in the early hours after birth. This is referred to as Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS). Some babies may recover slowly and require breathing and/or oxygen support for days. Caffeine is a drug that can help improve breathing efforts and is commonly used in premature babies who do not have regular or strong breathing efforts. Caffeine has been used in babies with MAS who recovered slowly (i.e. requiring breathing or oxygen support for a longer period) for several years now. Despite having success in many babies, there is no evidence to examine its effectiveness and mechanism of action. This pilot study proposes to look at the effects of caffeine in babies with MAS who require ongoing breathing and oxygen support. There will also be examination of whether caffeine improves breathing efforts with better lung opening using ultrasound images of the lungs.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the gastric fluid aspirated from the stomachs of neonates receiving routine post-delivery care to predict the need for prolonged respiratory support (\>6 hours of life).