Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

My friend / co-worker is 25 weeks pregnant. She had a still birth last year (RIP Baby Kennedy )

since she has a history and her 8 year old son was born at 37 weeks, her OB wants to do an amnio at 37 weeks to check for lung maturity

if the baby's lungs are mature, they will take him the next day

Ian't there another test for lung maturity? What is it called?

Does the risk with an amnio increase as you get further along in your pregnancy or decrease?

TIA

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

I don't know of any other tests that will tell you the lung maturity..

And I *believe* the risk decreases with the amino that late b/c if they break the water, *most likely* the baby will be fine.

ETD b/c I can't read

Message edited 4/27/2009 2:29:12 PM.

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

I would say it prob increases as there is less room to get the amniotic fluid. I though they could do a blood test but I could be wrong.

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

I had to have the lung maturity test with G beginning at 36 weeks b/c of the placenta previa. According to my Dr, the risk decreases in that if you go into labor at 36 weeks it is way less dangerous than if the anmio brings on labor at 12. Also, the fluid pockets are more pronounced and the baby is not really "floating." As active as G was when I was carrying him, the amnios both went well and were rather quick.

There is another test they can do to see if you may go into labor within 2 weeks called the Ffn. What this tests for is a protein at the cervix that is released up to 2 weeks before labor begins. It is a swab test like a pap and if it comes back positive, the Dr can decide to give steroids as a precaution. The % are weird though; if it comes back as a negative, then there is a 97% chance you will not go into labor, but if it comes back positive there is a 30% chance of going into labor, so it is not an exact science. BUT the Dr can also use the results to help determine when to begin the amnios. If the Ffn is taken at 36 weeks, let's say, and it comes back negative, then they would most likely not do a lung maturity test b/c at 38 weeks the baby is full term.

I hope this info helps.

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

I also wanted to add that I had all my testing done by a high-risk specialist.

for your friend

Message edited 4/27/2009 2:42:59 PM.

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

I did a quick look on line and I could only find the amnio-but I could have sworn there was something else too.

to her and her baby!

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

I had an amnio done the day before my scheduled c-section, I was 37w4d. The risk is very minimal - much less than a 2nd trimester amnio. This is because an amnio does have a risk of bringing on labor, which would cause a miscarriage in the 2nd trimester, but that close to the due date, the worst that would happen is the baby would be born a little early.
There isn't as much room to get the fluid from - my doctor had a really hard time, there were just arms and legs everywhere, but she wouldn't have stuck the needle in if she wasn't sure it wasn't going to touch one of the babies.

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

Essentially there are other tests but they all require an amnio....

In rare circumstances they can use other fluids, or obtain amnionic fluid through other means, but generally they dont....

I dont know the statistics but complications from 3rd trimester amnios are relatively uncommon....

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

I had an amnio at 36 weeks. I watched the whole thing. They are super careful to enter in a place where there is a good pocket of fluid. A friend of mine went in for the same thing and they could not find a place that looked safe to enter, so they just did not do the test and she waited another week to have the baby. I found that my 36 week amnio was almost painless.

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

Re: Help for a friend (lung maturity test)

I have no choice but to have an amnio done with every pg at 36/37 weeks as I can never experience a contraction (water broke at 19 weeks with DS from an amnio in 2005)

As much as I HATE the idea of having to have another amnio ever, I had one the day before DD was born at 37 weeks to check her lung development and she was delivered the next day.

With this pg - the perinatologist right now is planning on the amnio at 36 weeks. If her lungs are developed she will be delivered at 36 weeks, if not, they will wait for 37 weeks but not do a repeat amnio. The risk is MUCH less if your water breaks at this stage vs. in the first or second trimester.

They also monitored first DD's heart with testing the day of the amnio and we have already begun the heart tests with this little girl.

So far, there has been no other mention of a test to check her lung maturity.

I do hope your friend carries her baby successfully