How to treat excessive amniotic fluid

How to regulate excessive amniotic fluid? Excessive amniotic fluid occurs frequently, and many people don’t know what to do about it. The amount of amniotic fluid is a dynamic balance. When the amount of amniotic fluid produced is greater than the amount absorbed, there will be an excess of amniotic fluid. If the fetus is normal and the pregnant woman has no discomfort, there is no need to treat it and it will get better over time. Let us now take a closer look at how to treat excessive amniotic fluid.

1. Daily care

Pregnant women with excessive amniotic fluid need to ensure a low-salt diet and reduce their water intake. Rest in bed more often, lying on your left side, to improve uterine placental circulation and prevent premature birth. The amniotic fluid index and fetal growth should be checked every week.

2. Medical treatment

The treatment of polyhydramnios mainly depends on whether the fetus has any malformations, the gestational age, and the severity of the compression symptoms of the pregnant woman. If polyhydramnios is diagnosed, the doctor will generally request a high-definition B-ultrasound examination to see if the fetus has any malformations; amniocentesis may also be performed to see if the fetus has any genetic defects. At the same time, during the remaining pregnancy, regular fetal heart monitoring and B-ultrasound examinations are needed to closely monitor the growth and development of the fetus.

If there is polyhydramnios and fetal malformations, the pregnancy needs to be terminated, usually by artificial rupture of membranes. If the fetus is normal, the following measures should be taken for treatment:

1. Amniocentesis decompression: For patients with severe compression symptoms, short gestational age, and immature fetal lungs, transabdominal amniocentesis can be considered to relieve symptoms and prolong gestational age.

2. Treatment with prostaglandin synthase inhibitors : Indomethacin 2.2-2.4 mg/(kg·d), orally taken in 3 divided doses. Indomethacin has an inhibitory diuretic effect and can inhibit fetal urination to reduce the amount of amniotic fluid. However, while taking the medication, the changes in amniotic fluid volume and fetal heart rate should be closely observed. If the amount of amniotic fluid decreases significantly or the ductus arteriosus is narrowed, the medication should be stopped immediately.

3. Etiological treatment: If the polyhydramnios is caused by pregnancy complicated with diabetes, blood sugar needs to be suppressed; if the polyhydramnios is caused by maternal and fetal blood insolubility, the fetus is not yet mature and has edema, or the umbilical cord blood shows Hb<60g/L, fetal intrauterine blood transfusion should be considered.

4. Management during delivery: After natural labor, artificial rupture of membranes should be performed as soon as possible. If uterine contractions are still weak after rupture of membranes, low-concentration oxytocin can be given intravenously to enhance uterine contractions, and the progress of labor should be closely observed. Uterine contractions should be used promptly after the fetus is delivered to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.

Diet therapy for excessive amniotic fluid

Excessive amniotic fluid is called "fetal fluid edema", also known as "fetal fullness", which is recorded in ancient Chinese medicine books such as "The Heart of Pregnancy and Childbirth". Traditional Chinese medicine believes that this symptom is caused by spleen deficiency that cannot transport and transform water in the body, or by blocked qi flow, which disrupts the balance between amniotic fluid production and absorption, causing amniotic fluid production to be greater than absorption, and thus accumulates more and more. The main treatment is to strengthen the spleen and remove dampness to achieve the purpose of reducing amniotic fluid.

For pregnant women who experience this symptom, the earlier it is discovered and treated, the better the effect. In clinical practice, Chinese medicine often uses the classic prescription "Carp Soup" from "Qian Jin Yao Fang" for treatment. The specific usage is: 1 carp, remove the internal organs, add 15g of Atractylodes macrocephala, 6g of dried tangerine peel, 15g of Poria cocos, 12g of Angelica sinensis, 12g of White Peony Root, and 6g of ginger, boil into a thick soup, remove the medicinal materials, drink the soup and eat the fish. Usually, taking 3 to 5 doses will have a significant effect. Because carp meat has the function of nourishing the spleen and stomach, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, while Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, ginger and tangerine peel have the function of strengthening the spleen and regulating qi. Combined with Angelica sinensis and white peony root to nourish blood and stabilize the fetus, it can achieve the dual effect of removing water without harming the fetus. In addition, winter melon peel soup, white lentils, and red beans boiled in water and drunk as tea can also be used to promote diuresis and reduce the amount of amniotic fluid.

Oligohydramnios is similar to the "fetal atrophy during pregnancy" discussed in traditional Chinese medicine. It is caused by weak qi and blood, and yin deficiency, resulting in lack of fetal fluid and fetal atrophy. The treatment of traditional Chinese medicine focuses on nourishing qi and blood, tonifying the spleen and stomach, and nourishing yin, so that pregnant women have sufficient essence and blood and the fetus is well nourished. The commonly used dietary therapy is "Taiyuan Drink" plus raw rehmannia and ophiopogon. The specific usage is: 15g ginseng, 15g atractylodes, 6g roasted licorice, 10g angelica, 15g white peony, 15g cooked rehmannia, 20g eucommia, 6g tangerine peel, 15g raw rehmannia, and 15g ophiopogon. This recipe helps to replenish qi, nourish blood, and nourish yin. It can increase the production of amniotic fluid, thereby increasing the amount of amniotic fluid. Usually, taking 5 to 7 doses will have a significant effect.