What are the risks of artificial water breaking?

Many pregnant women do not show any signs of delivery when they reach their due date. Doctors usually ask them to go home and observe for a while before coming back for a check-up, because if they do not give birth for a long time after the due date, it will affect the condition of the fetus in the mother's body, and if not handled properly, it may be life-threatening. When some pregnant women have no signs of delivery, doctors will choose to artificially break the membranes to facilitate delivery. So are there any risks in artificially breaking the membranes?

1. What is artificial rupture of membranes?

When the fetus is in the mother's womb, it lives in a bag of amniotic fluid. The scientific name of this bag of amniotic fluid is "amniotic sac".

Usually when expectant mothers give birth, the severe labor pain will cause the amniotic fluid bag to rupture spontaneously, which is called natural rupture of membranes. Water breaking can happen at any stage of a woman's labor: some people's water breaks first, then they feel contractions, and then they give birth to their baby. Some people's water breaks after a long period of contractions, when the baby is about to be born. This is a natural process.

However, if the fetal membrane is too tough, it may not rupture spontaneously. At this time, medical staff will need to use a thin hook to artificially break the amniotic fluid bag to allow the amniotic fluid to flow out. This is artificial rupture of membranes.

Why do we need to break the water artificially?

Artificial rupture of membranes can be used to stimulate labor or speed up delivery. Generally speaking, when the cervix is ​​fully dilated, the severe labor pain causes the amniotic membrane to rupture spontaneously, which is called natural rupture of membranes. If the amniotic membrane is too tough, it may not rupture spontaneously. In this case, tweezers or hemostatic forceps are needed to artificially rupture the membrane to allow the amniotic fluid to flow out. This is artificial rupture of membranes.

Once the water breaks, the fetal head or presenting part will be close to the cervix, which can help dilate the cervix and stimulate the contraction of the uterus. Medical staff will check the color and concentration of the amniotic fluid to assess whether the fetus is well. If an internal monitor is to be used for examination, the amniotic fluid bag must be broken. If the fetal membrane is not ruptured, the outflow of amniotic fluid will be delayed, which will cause the placenta connected to the fetal membrane to detach, causing heavy bleeding. Artificial rupture of membranes can avoid this danger, and there is no pain at all. In most cases, it is done before the mother even notices it.

If the labor is proceeding normally, the ideal situation is to keep the amniotic fluid bag intact as much as possible before delivery, as it acts like a protective cushion for the fetal head. But sometimes, even if the water breaks, it does not necessarily mean that labor has started. If the water breaks, medical staff usually hope to arrange for labor to start within 24 hours, because water breaking increases the risk of infection to the mother and fetus, as well as the discomfort of uterine contractions.

Artificial rupture of membranes is mainly used to activate production or accelerate the birth process

The purpose of artificial rupture of membranes is mainly to speed up the labor process, but there are also strict symptoms and indications. Only when the danger of continuing the pregnancy to the mother or fetus is greater than that of spontaneous delivery, the doctor will consider using artificial induced delivery methods, which is also for the safety of mother and baby.

Therefore, first of all, the expectant mother needs to have the following indications before artificial rupture of membranes will be performed: prenatal epilepsy, post-term pregnancy (gestational weeks exceeding 42 weeks), placental insufficiency and fetal intrauterine growth retardation, prenatal bleeding including early placental abruption and unexplained prenatal bleeding, Rh blood type incompatibility, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, etc.

If the fetal membrane is not ruptured, the outflow of amniotic fluid will be delayed, which will cause the placenta connected to the fetal membrane to detach and cause heavy bleeding. Artificial rupture of membranes can avoid this danger.