Biochemical Profile of Amniotic Fluid to Assess Fetal Maturity

Twelve different biochemical analyses of amniotic fluid were obtained with the AutoAnalyzer to determine the maturity of the fetus in utero. A group of amniotic fluids from patients early in their second trimester and a second group of amniotic fluids collected at term were compared. Uric acid concentration in amniotic fluid was increased significantly at term, and was the only determination we found valuable in predicting fetal maturity. The values for alkaline phosphatase activity in amniotic fluid were too variable to have predictive usefulness.