Amniotic Fluid Colors

• a. pale straw color – normal

• b. yellow stained/ dark amber

• = fetal hypoxia that occurred 36 hours or more before the rupture of membranes

• = fetal hemolytic disease (Rh or ABO incompatability, intrauterine infection)

• = Ominous sign of presence of Bilirubin, hemolytic disease

• Character – thick secretions with unpleasant odor = infection

• . Greenish: Meconium Stained / FETAL DISTRESS, Also if ph is less than 7.2

• greenish brown (meconium – sustained)

• = fetus had a hypoxic episode ---- relaxation of the anal sphincter ---- passage of meconium from the bowel

• = normal in breech presentation

• C If with odor: deliver within 24 hours, may indicate infection.

• d. Port Wine Color – admixture of amniotic fluid and blood - indication abruptio placenta

Test for rupture of membranes

• Voiding by an incontinent woman and leukorrhea should be differentiated from amniotic fluid.

• Spread a drop of the fluid on a clean slide. Dried amniotic fluid will show a fern like crystalline pattern when viewed under the microscope (positive fern test).

• Determine the pH of the vagina fluid. Amniotic fluid is slightly alkaline; urine or pus is acidic.

• With sterile speculum, us sterile cotton swabs to take samples of vaginal secretions at cervical os

• Test with pH paper (Nitrazine)

INTERPRETATION

• Yellow/Olive Yellow/Olive Green = pH5 to 6 (membrane probably intact)

• Blue green/blue gray/deep blue = pH 6.5 to 7.5 (ruptured membrane)

• Fetal lanugo or fetal squamous cell may be seen on the microscope

• Sudan III and Nile blue tests for detection of fetal fat particles and desquamated fetal aft cells