Abstract
The phospholipids in the amniotic fluid from healthy pregnant ewes at various stages of gestation were analyzed in relation to the fetal pulmonary surfactant. The most abundant phospholipid was phosphatidylcholine which increased as the term approached. Analysis on the positional specificity of amniotic phosphatidylcholine revealed a similar fatty acid composition to the surfactant phosphatidylcholine of the fetal lung. The increase in disaturated phosphatidylcholine concentration of amniotic fluid during gestation correlated well with the increase in the surfactant phospholipid of fetal lungs. These results indicate the presence of pulmonary surfactant of the fetal origin in the amniotic fluid, and serve as a basic value for the antenatal diagnosis of idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome.
