J Perinatol 36 (Suppl 1): S49-S54, 2016. doi: 10.1038 / jp.2016.32 Key Points About 5% of neonates with meconium passage aspirate the meconium, triggering lung injury and respiratory distress or have prenatal and postnatal physiology that predisposes them to persistent pulmonary hypertension, which can complicate meconium aspiration syndrome.