[Pulmonary function of the newborn and surfactant level of amniotic fluid, following induced labour and spontaneous onset of labour (author's transl)].

The concentrations of surfactant obtained from dynamic measurement of surface tension of amniotic fluid as well as from amniotomy were determined for 26 births, all close to full term between 38th and 41st weeks of pregnancy). The compliance of the newborns' respiratory systems were postnatally established by means of the occlusion method. No pulmonary functionality was accurately identified from amniotic fluid in 92.3 per cent of all cases, and respiratory compliance was in good agreement with clinical symptoms in 25 of 26 newborns. All four cases of RDS were recorded from the group in which labour had been induced by amniotomy, with three of the four newborns weighing more than 2,500 g. These results are likely to show that RDS can develop even in infants born very close to full term and that the risk of RDS following induced labour is higher with significance than it would be following spontaneous onset of labour.