Role of Antibiotics in Preventing Infection in Babies Born Through Meconium Stained Liquor
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2011-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The purpose of the study is to evaluate the role of antibiotics in preventing infection in
babies born through meconium stained amniotic fluid. Normally babies do not pass meconium
while in utero. In response to hypoxic stress babies may pass meconium before birth and are
likely to be candidates for problems related to meconium passage and its inhalation. It is
believed that these babies are more prone to infections as meconium enhances bacterial growth
and may predispose such babies to secondary bacterial infections. In addition, meconium
passage has been incriminated as a pointer of in-utero infection. Whether use of antibiotics
in babies born through meconium stained amniotic fluid will reduce the infectious episodes
and complications thereof or not is not clear. Moreover, there is not much published
literature to prove or refute the same. Most clinicians have a low threshold for using
antibiotics in such babies. In view of the uncertainty regarding antibiotic usage in these
babies, the investigators decided to investigate the role of prophylactic antibiotics in
prevention of neonatal sepsis in babies born through meconium stained amniotic fluid.