[Clements' test in gastric aspirate of newborn infants for the prediction of pulmonary maturity].

Neonatal pulmonary maturity was studied by the Clements shake test in gastric aspirate of 52 newborn infants and their results were compared with those of the same shake test performed in amniotic fluid. Visual assessment, acidity, cytology and the shake test showed marked similarities between gastric aspirate and amniotic fluid obtained immediately before delivery. No infants with a positive shake test in amniotic fluid or gastric aspirate developed RDS while 4 of 5 infants with intermediate or negative shake test results developed RDS.