Dr. Shannon M. Clark, MD, FACOG

I am an OBGYN and high-risk pregnancy specialist. I do all high-risk pregnancies. So I am in a different setting dealing with a different acuity of care at baseline with my patients. But shit happens, right? There's a saying that says meconium happens. But we can't dismiss meconium and just say, oh, well, it happens because there are a lot of consequences to meconium.

I am an OBGYN and high-risk pregnancy specialist. I do all high-risk pregnancies. So I am in a different setting dealing with a different acuity of care at baseline with my patients. But shit happens, right? There's a saying that says meconium happens. But we can't dismiss meconium and just say, oh, well, it happens because there are a lot of consequences to meconium.

I am an OBGYN and high-risk pregnancy specialist. I do all high-risk pregnancies. So I am in a different setting dealing with a different acuity of care at baseline with my patients. But shit happens, right? There's a saying that says meconium happens. But we can't dismiss meconium and just say, oh, well, it happens because there are a lot of consequences to meconium.

It's associated with abnormal fetal heart rate tracings, meconium aspiration syndrome, increased admission to the NICU for the neonate, need for neonatal ventilation. In really bad scenarios, it can even lead to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy of the neonate. It can cause an increased risk of cesarean delivery for the patient, infection, fever.

It's associated with abnormal fetal heart rate tracings, meconium aspiration syndrome, increased admission to the NICU for the neonate, need for neonatal ventilation. In really bad scenarios, it can even lead to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy of the neonate. It can cause an increased risk of cesarean delivery for the patient, infection, fever.

It's associated with abnormal fetal heart rate tracings, meconium aspiration syndrome, increased admission to the NICU for the neonate, need for neonatal ventilation. In really bad scenarios, it can even lead to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy of the neonate. It can cause an increased risk of cesarean delivery for the patient, infection, fever.

The consequences of meconium aspiration syndrome or having HIE are so significant and profound that we can't dismiss it When we start seeing meconium, the first thing we need to do is once a patient in labor starts showing signs of meconium passage during the course of their labor, we need to let the neonatal resuscitation team know, hey, patient in room 321 has meconium.

The consequences of meconium aspiration syndrome or having HIE are so significant and profound that we can't dismiss it When we start seeing meconium, the first thing we need to do is once a patient in labor starts showing signs of meconium passage during the course of their labor, we need to let the neonatal resuscitation team know, hey, patient in room 321 has meconium.

The consequences of meconium aspiration syndrome or having HIE are so significant and profound that we can't dismiss it When we start seeing meconium, the first thing we need to do is once a patient in labor starts showing signs of meconium passage during the course of their labor, we need to let the neonatal resuscitation team know, hey, patient in room 321 has meconium.

If you don't have a neonatal resuscitation team, how can we put them on alert? Because they have to be ready in case when the neonate is born, there are complications. One of the other things that can happen is having an abnormal fetal heart rate tracing. Well, if we're not doing continuous fetal monitoring, how are we going to pick up that there's an abnormal fetal heart rate tracing?

If you don't have a neonatal resuscitation team, how can we put them on alert? Because they have to be ready in case when the neonate is born, there are complications. One of the other things that can happen is having an abnormal fetal heart rate tracing. Well, if we're not doing continuous fetal monitoring, how are we going to pick up that there's an abnormal fetal heart rate tracing?

If you don't have a neonatal resuscitation team, how can we put them on alert? Because they have to be ready in case when the neonate is born, there are complications. One of the other things that can happen is having an abnormal fetal heart rate tracing. Well, if we're not doing continuous fetal monitoring, how are we going to pick up that there's an abnormal fetal heart rate tracing?

And having done this for a gazillion years, I could tell you there are certain signs in a fetal heart rate tracing that can tell me that there's meconium there and that there could be a complication if we continue laboring in this patient. So I look at the big picture and say, how close is she to delivering?

And having done this for a gazillion years, I could tell you there are certain signs in a fetal heart rate tracing that can tell me that there's meconium there and that there could be a complication if we continue laboring in this patient. So I look at the big picture and say, how close is she to delivering?

And having done this for a gazillion years, I could tell you there are certain signs in a fetal heart rate tracing that can tell me that there's meconium there and that there could be a complication if we continue laboring in this patient. So I look at the big picture and say, how close is she to delivering?

If she comes in at two centimeters and I'm already seeing some issues, I'm not going to wait until she's completely dilated. There's a lot of clinical nuance at play with the individual. So we need to consistently document what the meconium looks like because it can evolve over time. There's a lot of things we need to do. What protocols does a birth center have?

If she comes in at two centimeters and I'm already seeing some issues, I'm not going to wait until she's completely dilated. There's a lot of clinical nuance at play with the individual. So we need to consistently document what the meconium looks like because it can evolve over time. There's a lot of things we need to do. What protocols does a birth center have?

If she comes in at two centimeters and I'm already seeing some issues, I'm not going to wait until she's completely dilated. There's a lot of clinical nuance at play with the individual. So we need to consistently document what the meconium looks like because it can evolve over time. There's a lot of things we need to do. What protocols does a birth center have?

If there is meconium noted during labor and delivery, that's a question that they should be able to answer. And if they just say, oh, well, meconium happens, that's not a good answer, in my opinion, because they should have protocols on what to do.

If there is meconium noted during labor and delivery, that's a question that they should be able to answer. And if they just say, oh, well, meconium happens, that's not a good answer, in my opinion, because they should have protocols on what to do.