Polyhydramnios during pregnancy: causes, diagnosis and consequences

Polyhydramnios during pregnancy is a condition associated with excess amniotic fluid.

Despite the fact that the nutritional function of amniotic fluid is the main, its excessive accumulation leads to the formation of pathology of pregnancy and childbirth. Fortunately, this phenomenon occurs in 1.5 - 2% of women, is easily diagnosed and amenable to timely correction.

Causes

The conditional reasons for the formation of a copious flow of amniotic fluid include:

1. Infectious and viral diseases of the expectant mother. The body, naturally resisting foreign agents, begins to produce amniotic fluid, trying to protect the fetus from negative effects. Along with this, the pregnant woman has a thickening of the walls of the fetal bladder, impaired patency of nutrients through the placental barrier.
2. Exacerbation of chronic diseases, the occurrence of serious malfunctions of the immune system. The effects of allergens, toxins, drugs, disruption of certain organs and systems are the root cause of polyhydramnios. In addition, there is a probability of impaired fetal development, its destructive change.
3. Rhesus conflict. The pathological condition associated with the non-acceptance of the child by blood can lead to abundant accumulation of amniotic fluid, miscarriage, the development of jaundice or asphyxiation of the newborn.
4. Bad habits.
5. Other possible provocative elements.

Symptoms

Many symptoms, which, due to their small severity, are ignored by most girls during pregnancy. Polyhydramnios is especially famous for this, as it often has a fairly wide range of symptoms.

Symptoms of the first trimester

The following are the main symptoms in the initial stages of pregnancy:

• heaviness and discomfort in the form of frequent pain in the abdominal region;
• the presence of general weakness in the body;
• shortness of breath at any load.

What comes from a high aperture:

• a sharp increase in heart rate;
• swelling of some parts of the body;
• swelling of the abdomen in the navel;
• the appearance of stretch marks on the stomach;
• frequent squeezing of fluid in the abdomen;
• an increase in the size of the uterus;
• increase in amniotic fluid.

Symptoms of late terms

Symptoms of polyhydramnios during late pregnancy are as follows:

• the presence of constant tension in the uterus;
• a significant increase in the size of the uterus;
• high activity and anxiety of the fetus;
• raising the uterus.

As the volume of the uterus increases, there is a risk of entwining the fetus with an umbilical cord. A sign of the acute course of the disease is a sharp, within two hours, increase in amniotic fluid. A symptom of the chronic is that amniotic fluid grows gradually.

Diagnostics

Polyhydramnios is a pathological condition that must be detected and corrected in time.

Therefore, at each scheduled examination, the local obstetrician-gynecologist performs palpation of the uterine fundus for compliance with gestational age.

The obvious diagnostic signs of amniotic fluid accumulation are:

1. A sharp increase in the volume of the fetal bladder, combined with the patient's complaints about poor health and pain in the lower abdomen.
2. The presence of turbid discharge from the vagina. This symptom can also indicate leakage of amniotic fluid as a result of tearing of the birth bag, prolapse of the uterus, and sexual activity in late pregnancy.
3. Detection of bacteria, mucus, impurities in the general analysis of urine. Exposure to aggressive environmental agents is a 100% indicator of the development of this pathology. For final confirmation of polyhydramnios, screening hardware diagnostics are performed.
4. Poor visibility during ultrasound diagnostics.
5. Indirect confirmation of polyhydramnios:

• rhesus conflict;
• SARS, anemia;
• placental insufficiency;
• cardiovascular pathology;
• genetic mutations.

After the diagnosis, the causes of polyhydramnios during pregnancy will be established reliably.

Effects

Polyhydramnios is a complex pathological condition that can cause the development of many complications during childbirth and harm the health of the child.

Therefore, the attending physician obstetrician-gynecologist conducts a planned cesarean section in order to prevent the development of multiple problems.

The negative effects of polyhydramnios during pregnancy:

• rupture of the fallopian tubes when the fetus passes through the birth canal;
• profuse abdominal bleeding;
• pelvic, gluteal presentation of the fetus;
• late miscarriage (premature birth);
• dehydration as a result of the development of incessant vomiting;
• late gestosis. Rupture of the fetal bladder;
• prolapse of the uterus or umbilical cord.

Consequences for the child

What is the danger of polyhydramnios during pregnancy for the unborn baby? The main problems are as follows:

• asphyxia;
• intrauterine death;
• fetoplacental insufficiency;
• reduced immunity;
• infection penetration;
• developmental delay;
• low birth weight;
• premature birth;
• damage to internal organs - liver, gall bladder. As a result, jaundice develops;
• neurological disorders.

Treatment

If a woman exhibits polyhydramnios, then she will immediately be hospitalized. This is due to the fact that this disease is not fully understood. Before starting treatment, specialists should examine the patient.

Further treatment is carried out based on the identified cause, which caused polyhydramnios. But there are cases when the reason is not clarified, in this option, a comprehensive treatment is carried out aimed at reducing amniotic fluid and strengthening the body of the mother and child.

Most often, a multivitamin complex is prescribed, which includes vitamins of groups B, C and E, antibacterial drugs of wide action, diuretics, drugs designed to improve the blood circulation of the uterus and drugs that improve the condition of the uterus. It depends on whether moderate polyhydramnios during pregnancy or above normal.

During treatment, it is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the mother and child, assigning control of the weight and pressure of the patient. The stage of the disease depends on the amount of amniotic fluid. Therefore, they are constantly monitored and, with a decrease, they try to extend the pregnancy to 38 weeks.

If a mild form of the disease is detected, then local antibacterial drugs are prescribed. If an acute form of the course of the disease is detected, then the doctor has the right to prescribe potent antibiotics. Since there is a risk of side effects on antibiotics, the regularity of examinations increases. Additionally, to identify pathologies, cardiotocographs and fetal ultrasound are performed.

If during treatment there is no improvement or acute inflammation occurs, then a forced method is childbirth by the open method, regardless of gestational age. With a decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid and in the absence of contraindications, childbirth is recommended in a natural way.

Many people ask if polyhydramnios can be cured at 30 weeks of gestation. You may, however, need to know that abnormalities in the development of the fetus at week 30 can cause an increase in the amount of water, which will aggravate the situation, up to the detachment of the placenta. The main thing that needs to be done for a successful cure is to reduce the amount of water gradually so as not to cause cramping of the uterus.

As soon as symptoms of polyhydramnios appear, it is necessary, without waiting for complications, to visit a doctor, who will prescribe a course of treatment when a disease is detected. Do not abandon the hospital, as untimely identification of violations can be fatal for the life of a child.