A new method for evaluation of fetal lung maturity in utero is described. The method is based on the fluorescence polarization ( P ) of the lipids in the amniotic fluid after labelling with a special dye. Tests performed with 49 amniotic fluid samples drawn from 33 pregnancies clearly demonstrated a decrease in P during gestation which correlated with the increase in the lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio (L/S) in the fluid. During gestation the P value at 24 "C decreased steadily from about 0.4 to 0.2 and the value of P (24 "C)= 0.310 has been tentatively chosen as the threshold above which respiratory distress syndrome may develop. The described method, which requires a specially designed instrument, offers a series of important advantages over the presently available methods. It is simple, rapid, highly accurate and reproducible, and independent of amniotic fluid volume. The P value reflects the microviscosity in the whole lipid assembly of amniotic fluid and is not confined specifically to lecithin.
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