What should pregnant women do if they have little amniotic fluid?

If a pregnant woman has less amniotic fluid, it may be caused by fetal malformations. If this is the reason, the pregnancy should be terminated as soon as possible. If there is too little amniotic fluid but the fetus is normal, then the amount of fluid replacement should be increased to improve some functions of the placenta. Low amniotic fluid is not good for the development of the fetus, so it is necessary to find out the specific cause and then take measures to deal with it.

Medical treatment

When oligohydramnios is detected, treatment options can be chosen based on whether the fetus has any deformities or the size of the gestational age.

1. Oligohydramnios combined with fetal malformation

If fetal malformation has been confirmed, the pregnancy should be terminated as soon as possible. Transabdominal amniocentesis under B-mode ultrasound guidance can be used to inject ethacridine to induce labor.

2. Oligohydramnios combined with normal fetus

When oligohydramnios is found but the fetus is developing normally, the cause should be found and eliminated. By increasing the amount of fluid replacement, placental function can be improved and infection can be prevented. Pregnant women should monitor their fetal movements by counting them, and doctors should perform fetal biophysical scoring. Through dynamic monitoring with B-mode ultrasound, the amount of amniotic fluid and the ratio of the highest blood flow velocity in systole to the lowest blood flow velocity in diastole (S/D) of the umbilical artery are obtained, and electronic fetal monitoring is performed to closely monitor the intrauterine condition of the fetus.

There are two specific treatment methods:

1. Termination of pregnancy

For those who have reached full-term pregnancy and whose fetus can survive outside the uterus, the pregnancy should be terminated promptly. If there is combined placental dysfunction, fetal distress, or little amniotic fluid and severe meconium contamination at rupture of membranes, and it is estimated that delivery cannot be completed in a short time, cesarean section should be performed to terminate the pregnancy in order to reduce perinatal mortality.

For those with good fetal reserve function, no obvious intrauterine hypoxia, and clear amniotic fluid after artificial rupture of membranes, vaginal trial delivery can be performed. If you choose vaginal trial delivery, you need to closely observe the progress of labor and continuously monitor changes in fetal heart rate.

2. Increase the amount of amniotic fluid and expectant treatment

For pregnancies that are premature and whose fetal lungs are immature, expectant management can be used to increase the amount of amniotic fluid and prolong the pregnancy. Amnioinfusion fluid can be used to reduce the incidence of variable decelerations of fetal heart rate, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, and cesarean section rates. At the same time, tocolytics should be used to prevent premature birth.

Daily care

Expectant mothers with too little amniotic fluid are advised to rest in bed on their left side to improve blood supply to the placenta. At the same time, expectant mothers with oligohydramnios are under great psychological pressure. Doctors have the responsibility to explain the disease to pregnant women and their families, provide emotional support, and help them actively participate in treatment and self-care. Expectant mothers should be informed of the benefits of maintaining a happy mood and cooperating with treatment for fetal development. Family members should also provide more psychological comfort and care to help eliminate the psychological worries of expectant mothers.