Oligohydramnios: causes, diagnosis and treatment in pregnancy

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Amniotic fluid is the fluid that surrounds the fetus during pregnancy. It is found inside the amniotic sac and has the function of protecting the fetus throughout its development, from the beginning of pregnancy to the birth of the baby.

An abnormal amount of amniotic fluid is indicative of fetal alterations or problems in the mother that can put pregnancy at risk. Therefore, it is important to measure the volume of amniotic fluid in ultrasounds, especially in the last trimester.

A small amount of amniotic fluid is known as oligohydramnios, while an excessive amount of amniotic fluid is called polyhydramnios.

Below you have an index with all the points that we will discuss in this article.

Index

Definition of oligohydramnios

The term oligohydramnios refers to the small amount of amniotic fluid in pregnancy. This disorder affects less than 10% of pregnant women, although only about 5% are diagnosed.

Oligohydramnios usually occurs in the last trimester, especially if the pregnant woman is past the due date, although it can also appear at any other time during pregnancy.

In general, the consequences of oligohydramnios are more serious if it appears in the first two trimesters of pregnancy than in the third. Despite this, most pregnancies with oligohydramnios are able to develop normally and lead to the birth of healthy babies.

Amniotic fluid in pregnancy

The amount of amniotic fluid varies throughout gestation. On average, the amniotic sac contains about 30 ml of fluid at 10 weeks, 100 ml at week 14, 200 ml at week 16 and reaches its maximum at week 34, with about 800 ml of amniotic fluid.

After week 36, the amount of amniotic fluid gradually decreases until it reaches 600 ml at the end of pregnancy, but should never go away.



How is amniotic fluid measured?

The amount of amniotic fluid can be measured with an ultrasound ultrasound using the so-called Phelan method or, what is the same, calculating the amniotic fluid index (ILA).

This method consists of dividing the uterine cavity into four quadrants and then measuring the diameters of the maximum gaps free of amniotic fluid in each quadrant.

The ILA is obtained by adding these 4 measurements obtained. The normal value of the ILA should be between 8-24 cm to consider that the volume of amniotic fluid is correct.

An ILA








Questions from users

What is the reason for the small amount of amniotic fluid?

By Zaira Salvador (embriologist).

The causes of the shortage of amniotic fluid in pregnancy are several such as, for example, rupture of the membranes, placental abruption, hypertension, fetal malformations, prolonged pregnancy, etc.


tubal cannulation in (Spain)

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