What to do if amniotic fluid leaks during pregnancy

In the middle of pregnancy, if there is amniotic fluid leakage, you should go to the hospital for a check-up in time to see if the water has broken. Then, during this period, you must make sure to get enough rest, prevent infection, understand the development of the fetus, etc., avoid intrauterine infection, and prevent sepsis, etc. Let's take a look at this aspect.

What to do if amniotic fluid leaks during pregnancy

1. Seek medical attention promptly. No matter when you feel your water breaking, you should go to the hospital for a check-up to confirm whether it is your water breaking.

2. Lie down and rest. If you find symptoms of water breaking, it is best to lie down and rest, and do not get up and move around. To avoid excessive amniotic fluid loss and umbilical cord prolapse, you can use a cushion to raise your buttocks.

3. Don’t take a shower. Do not put anything in your vagina (do not do a pelvic exam), do not have sexual intercourse, stay clean, drink plenty of water, and take your temperature twice a day.

4. Pay attention to inspection. Tell your doctor if you have brown or green tarry material (meconium) coming out of your vagina, because this may be caused by the fetus's intestines being squeezed, which often means that the fetus is under pressure or in danger.

Generally speaking, labor will occur within 24 hours after the water breaks. Antibiotics can be used 12 hours after water breaking to prevent infection. If there is no uterine contraction within 24 hours after the water breaks, the doctor will usually use an injection to induce labor. The labor-inducing injection can be used for 3 days. If the baby still cannot be born after 3 days, a caesarean section can be chosen.

Effects on the mother

1. Chorioamnionitis: also known as intrauterine infection, the incidence rate is approximately between 1.5% and 10%. Clinical signs include fever, pulse rate increased to 100 beats/minute, rapid fetal heart rate, uterine tenderness, and if the amniotic fluid has a foul odor, it indicates that the infection is more serious. The total white blood cell count is ≥15×109/l, and the neutrophil count is ≥90%. The amniotic fluid culture may be positive. Intrauterine infection is very dangerous to perinatal infants, especially premature infants. The incidence of sepsis, pneumonia, etc. is very high, and it is an important cause of perinatal mortality.

2. Increased rate of dystocia: Abnormal fetal position can lead to premature rupture of membranes. Therefore, for expectant mothers with premature rupture of membranes, attention should be paid to whether they have pelvic stenosis, cephalopelvic disproportion, and abnormal head position. If dystocia occurs, the labor process will inevitably be prolonged, which can easily lead to intrauterine infection, which in turn damages the uterine muscle layer, including cesarean section, forceps or vacuum extraction. Sensitivity to oxytocin decreases, labor stalls, and the rate of surgical deliveries increases.

3. Postpartum hemorrhage: Intrauterine infection can affect the decidua and myometrium, affecting uterine contraction and increasing bleeding. In severe cases, the uterus needs to be removed.

4. Amniotic fluid embolism: When oxytocin is given intravenously after premature rupture of membranes, if the oxytocin is used improperly, it can force the amniotic fluid, especially the amniotic fluid containing meconium, into the maternal circulation from the cervical vein of the uterus, causing amniotic fluid embolism, which seriously threatens the life of the mother.

5. Placental abruption: It can cause fetal death and massive bleeding, coagulation dysfunction, and even death in expectant mothers, endangering the lives of the fetus and the mother and increasing the rate of cesarean sections.