TO STUDY AMNIOTIC FLUID OPTICAL DENSITY AS A PREDICTOR OF NEWBORN'S FUNCTIONAL MATURITY IN SOUTH INDIAN PATIENTS
Respiratory distress is the common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Babies born even at 40 weeks of gestation developed respiratory distress. The maturity of newborn is independent of gestational age and birth weight of newborn. In this study amniotic fluid optical density (AFOD) is correlated with the functional maturity of newborn. Babies are observed for the amount of Vernix on their skin immediately after birth before drying of the baby. APGAR scores at 1minute and 5 minutes were obtained. Babies were observed for classical signs of respiratory distress (tachypnea >60 breaths /min, grunting, retraction of ribs, sternum. Amniotic fluid optical density is a simple method to assess the functional maturity of newborn. in lights of AFOD which determines the preparedness of labour and hence the biological gestational age that is more relevant than the estimated date of confinement (EDC)