How much amniotic fluid is needed to necessitate a caesarean section

Many people don't know much about the amount of amniotic fluid, because they think that as long as you are pregnant, there will be amniotic fluid in the belly, and the amount of amniotic fluid depends on the nourishment of the diet. In fact, this is not the case. Sometimes, less amniotic fluid can also be a major hazard. Sometimes, when the amniotic fluid reaches a certain stage, a caesarean section must be performed immediately, otherwise it will cause great harm to the child and will affect physical health.

What is oligohydramnios

First, let us understand how much amniotic fluid is considered too little. Most hospitals use B-ultrasound to understand the amount of amniotic fluid, and adopt the "amniotic fluid index method" to determine whether the amount of amniotic fluid is normal. The method is: divide the uterus into four quadrants, measure the maximum depth of the amniotic fluid in each quadrant, and then add up the total. A total value between 8 and 24 cm is normal. A value less than 8 indicates oligohydramnios, and a value greater than 24 indicates polyhydramnios.

Which pregnant women are prone to low amniotic fluid

Low amniotic fluid in pregnant women can cause many problems. If you have such a problem, you must seek timely treatment. In the second trimester, if too little amniotic fluid is found, there is usually a possibility of fetal malformation, and a detailed examination is needed (such as umbilical cord blood or amniotic fluid chromosome examination to rule out chromosomal abnormalities). After ruling out the possibility of fetal malformation, the fetus's condition in the uterus and changes in the amount of amniotic fluid can be closely observed.

If oligohydramnios is caused by insufficient maternal blood volume or hypoxia, drinking plenty of water, intravenous infusion and oxygen inhalation can indeed play a certain role.

For mothers with hypercoagulation function, low molecular weight heparin can be injected subcutaneously or low molecular weight dextran can be infused intravenously to make the blood less easy to coagulate, improve the blood circulation in the placenta, and facilitate the formation of amniotic fluid.

If necessary, amniotic infusion therapy can also be used, that is, under the guidance of B-ultrasound, a puncture needle is used to inject an appropriate amount of normal saline into the amniotic cavity through the abdomen to improve the condition of oligohydramnios. This method is now recognized and adopted by more and more people, especially for some pregnant women who have unexplained oligohydramnios in the early stages and whose fetuses are immature. Amniotic fluid infusion can improve the effects of oligohydramnios on the fetus in a short period of time and maintain the normal development of the fetus.

However, a comprehensive evaluation must be conducted before undergoing these treatments. The patient must stay in the hospital during treatment and be under close monitoring to prevent adverse reactions such as allergic reactions, bleeding tendency, premature birth, miscarriage, infection, etc.

What to do if pregnant women have little amniotic fluid

1. If there is leakage of amniotic fluid, the uterine height is smaller than the actual gestational age, or the baby does not move much, the doctor may suspect that you have too little amniotic fluid;

2. The previous pregnancy had intrauterine growth restriction;

3. Pregnant women have chronic hypertension, preeclampsia, diabetes, lupus, etc.;

4. If a pregnant woman has passed her due date, her doctor may also pay special attention to whether she has a problem with too little amniotic fluid.