Which of the following is a potential complication associated with prolonged rupture of membranes?

• A. Neonatal sepsis
• B. Meconium aspiration
• C. Persistent fetal circulation
• D. Jaundice

Answer: (A)

Prolonged rupture of membranes raises the risk of ascending infection reaching the fetus, making neonatal sepsis the most direct and well-established complication. When membranes stay ruptured for a long time before delivery, bacteria from the birth canal can ascend into the uterus, leading to chorioamnionitis and exposing the newborn to infection after birth. This is why intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis is often used in cases of PROM to reduce the chance of early neonatal sepsis.

Meconium aspiration is typically related to fetal distress or post-term pregnancy and, while it can occur in labor, it is not a direct consequence of PROM. Persistent fetal circulation (persistent pulmonary hypertension) is more tied to neonatal pulmonary status and hypoxia rather than PROM itself. Jaundice can occur for many reasons in newborns and is not specifically tied to prolonged rupture of membranes.