Effect Of Intrapartum Oropharyngeal (IP-OP) Suction on Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the role of routine suctioning of the oropharynx before the delivery of shoulders in preventing breathing difficulty and subsequent lung disease 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 leading to meconium aspiration syndrome(MAS). It is believed that clearing the airways of meconium at the time of birth can decrease the risk of MAS. It had been a routine practice to suction the mouth, pharynx and nose of the baby as soon as the head of the infant is delivered prior to delivery of the shoulders followed by tracheal intubation and suction in babies with poor breathing efforts to clear the airways of the meconium. however recent studies have shown the futility of this procedure in preventing MAS along with an increased risk of complications to baby due to suctioning. In view of the uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of this procedure in a resource poor country, the investigators decided to evaluate the effect of intrapartum-oropharyngeal suction in preventing or decreasing the incidence of MAS in such babies.