Prenatal detection of intestinal obstruction: deficient amniotic fluid disaccharidases in affected fetuses

Amniotic fluid samples from four fetuses with intestinal obstructions (two anal imperfora-tions, one duodenal atresia and one multiple intestinal atresia) were deficient in disaccha-ridase activities. These results indicate that disaccharidase assay in amniotic fluid can be used as a rapid and simple test for the prenatal detection of fetal intestinal obstructions.