Profile of phospholipids in amniotic fluid to assess fetal lung maturity in high-risk pregnancy.

In assessing fetal lung maturity, an amniotic fluid profile, consisting of a total phospholipid (as phosphorus) (TPP) and total lecithin (LT) concentration, has been shown to yield a predictive accuracy of 97.5% with a false-negative rate of 2.4%. The LT had a range of specificity of 93% to 99%, whereas the one for the TPP was 88% to 96%. The cut-off values were 0.14 mg P/dl and 3.5 mg lecithin/dl of amniotic fluid. The analytical variables for laboratory tests for measuring amniotic fluid phospholipids led to the development of the quantitative tests used for this study. The proposed profile appears to offer the clinician an excellent means of judging how to manage the high-risk pregnancy.