Introduction:
Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates born at or beyond term gestation. Meconium stained amniotic fluid occurs in 4-22% of all pregnancies. About 3-12% of neonates born by meconium-stained amniotic fluid develop respiratory distress requiring NICU admissions1. The mortality of MAS ranged from 25-40% in developing countries in the last decade2,3. The last decade also witnessed the addition of novel management strategies like avoiding routine ET suction in the delivery room, CPAP as primary support, surfactant administration etc. With improvement in supportive care combined with the above strategies, the outcomes of MAS are improving4, 5, 6, 7. Thus currently, there is a need to focus on reducing morbidities associated with MAS.
The median stay of neonates with moderate to severe MAS has ranged between 4-29 days with a median of 8 days8, 9, 10, 11. Prolonged hospital stay is one of the vital morbidity associated with MAS. Prolonged stay adds to both direct and indirect costs. Few studies have evaluated the predictors of severe MAS9-10. Although the length of stay was assessed in these studies, the predictors of long-stay were not assessed specifically. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the associated morbidities of MAS and predict factors determining prolonged hospital stay in such neonates.