Meconium Aspiration

Meconium Aspiration Treatment

The newborn's mouth should be suctioned as soon as the head is delivered. Further intervention is necessary if there is thick meconium staining and fetal distress. A tube is placed in the infant's trachea and suction is applied as the endotracheal tube is withdrawn. This procedure is repeated until meconium is no longer seen in the suction contents.

If there have been no signs of prenatal fetal distress, and the baby is a vigorous term-birth newborn, however, experts now recommend no deep suctioning of the trachea for fear of causing aspiration pneumonia. Occasionally, a saline solution is used to "wash" the airway of particularly thick meconium.

After delivery, the infant is observed carefully. The infant may be placed in the special care nursery or newborn intensive care unit. Other treatments may include chest physiotherapy (tapping on the chest to loosen secretions), antibiotics to treat infection, use of a radiant warmer to maintain body temperature and mechanical ventilation to keep the lungs inflated.