Amniotic fluid and serum lactic dehydrogenase in intrauterine death of the foetus.

Total lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in amniotic fluid was determined in 17 cases of intrauterine death of the foetus. All values were above the normal range. In 7 cases with known duration of foetal death the values of LDH tended to increase with the interval between foetal death and amniotic fluid sampling. Serum LDH was significantly higher in cases of foetal death compared to normal pregnancies.