Synthetic Amniotic Fluid

Highlights from the Hot Topics in Neonatology Conference in Washington , D.C.
December 12-14 , 2004

Synthetic Amniotic Fluid

SIMULATED AMNIOTIC FLUID FOR ENTERAL ADMINISTRATION.
Robert Christensen, M.D. Formerly of the University of South Florida; now at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Clin Perinatol. 2004 Mar;31(1):169-82

Contributor's Note: I have no facts from Dr. Christensen’s Lecture, only my memory. But I was so impressed by the talk that I wanted to share it with you. As of this printing, I have been unable to contact Dr. Christensen. This may be due to his relocating from Tampa to Ogden, Utah. EV.

Dr. Christensen spoke about using hematopoietic growth factors found in Amniotic Fluid to stimulate intestinal maturation in premature infants. A synthetic amniotic fluid was made by adding 2 of these growth factors to a saline solution. This synthetic amniotic fluid was fed babies made NPO because of feeding intolerance. He postulated that since fetuses swallowed these products in utero, they may play a role in maturation of the intestinal villi. He ran an experiment with n=30 babies showing that the baby’s given the saline plus factors found in amniotic fluid demonstrated less feeding intolerance. Once restarted on feedings they had less intolerance compared to controls. These are just preliminary studies with low numbers of neonates but they had previously demonstrated this in animal models.

Comments: This would be fantastic for our neonates who are kept NPO for several weeks, especially our surgical patients (i.e., gastroschisis etc). He did not recommend this as a substitute for EBM (nature’s formula) once feeding was initiated, as was suggested by someone in the audience. EV.

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