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

Amniotic fluid samples from four fetuses with intestinal obstructions (two anal imperforations, one duodenal atresia and one multiple intestinal atresia) were deficient in disaccharidase 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.