During the 2 nd half of gestation amniotic fluid is comprised mostly of fetal urine so this will lower fluid levels. Birth Defects: certain congenital birth defects involving the baby's kidneys or urinary function can decrease the amount of fetal urine that the baby produces during pregnancy.Placental Abnormalities: when the placenta is not functioning properly the supply of nutrients and blood to the fetus may be disrupted which can decrease amniotic fluid levels.Often oligohydramnios is causes by a combination of these conditions which include the following: There are number of condition and abnormalities that are known to cause to contribute to low amniotic fluid levels. When oligohydramnios occurs earlier in pregnancy it can be more problematic and potentially dangerous for the baby. The condition is much more common in the final trimester but it does occur much earlier in some cases. Low amniotic fluid levels occur in about 8% of pregnancies but oligohydramnios is only diagnosed in about 4 out of every 100 pregnancies. Total fluid volume below 500 ml after week 32 is also considered oligohydramnios. A diagnosis of oligohydramnios is made if there is no visible fluid 2-3 cm fluid pocket or AFI indicates fluid levels of less than 5 cm. Sonogram and ultrasound imaging allows amniotic fluid levels to be accurately measured during pregnancy with several different methods including measuring the depth of fluid pockets or through the amniotic fluid index (AFI). If the volume of amniotic fluid drops below minimum levels at any point during the pregnancy the condition is diagnosed as oligohydramnios. However, the volume of amniotic fluid should stay above certain minimum levels throughout the pregnancy. Levels of amniotic fluid vary somewhat depending on the mother, fetal weight, and stage of gestation. By around week 20 amniotic fluid is less water and more fetal urine. Once swallowed the amniotic fluid is "digested" by the baby's developing gastrointestinal system and the byproducts are regularly eliminated in fetal urine. The baby begins to inhale and swallow the amniotic fluid and which helps develop the lungs and digestive system. It also enables the baby to move around inside the womb which is important to early muscle and nerve development.Īs the pregnancy progresses the amniotic fluid takes on a different composition and serves additional functions. It fills the womb and surrounds the baby during pregnancy serving as a cushion and insulation. In the early stages of pregnancy amniotic fluid is composed primarily of water. About OligohydramniosĪmniotic fluid is a critical component of pregnancy and fetal development. Amniotic fluid plays part in gestation and oligohydramnios can lead to major problems and complications that can result in birth defects and even miscarriages. 2009).īut what is the evidence for this standard birth practice? Let’s take a look at the evidence together.Oligohydramnios is the medical term for a condition occurring in some pregnancies in which the amount of amniotic fluid in the womb is too low. In fact, 95% of physicians who practice maternal-fetal medicine feel that isolated oligohydramnios-low amniotic fluid in an otherwise healthy pregnancy-is an indication for labor induction at 40 weeks ( Schwartz, Sweeting et al. is to induce labor at term if a mother has low amniotic fluid in an otherwise healthy pregnancy. This is a great question and I felt like it was a perfect topic for my first article for Science and Sensibility. I’m also curious about causes of low fluid (theorized or known), risks of low fluid, and perhaps as important if not more so, measurements of low fluid.” What does the research say about low fluid (oligohydramnios) at or near term? From what I’ve been able to see in research summaries at least, there appears to be no improved outcome for babies, but I’d love to see the research really hashed out. “Low fluid seems to be the new “big baby” for pushing for induction. This question came from one of my readers: I would like to thank Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA) BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, community manager of Science and Sensibility, for inviting me to share my findings about low amniotic fluid with Lamaze’s readers. I am excited to announce that I have published my first guest article for Lamaze International’s research blog: Science and Sensibility.
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