What to do if the fetus has too much amniotic fluid during pregnancy

We know that pregnancy is not an easy thing. During pregnancy, pregnant women may encounter various problems. For example, some pregnant women are found to have too much amniotic fluid in the fetus. This situation is relatively dangerous. Pregnant women will definitely be particularly worried, but they don’t know what to do. So, what should they do if the fetus has too much amniotic fluid? Let’s see what the experts say.

The cause of about 1/3 of polyhydramnios is unknown, but most severe polyhydramnios may be related to fetal malformations and pregnancy complications.

1. Fetal malformation: Among pregnant women with polyhydramnios, 18%-40% have fetal malformation. Neural tube defects are the most common, accounting for about 50%, of which open neural tube defects are the main ones. When the baby is anencephaly or has spina bifida, the meninges are exposed, the choroidal tissue proliferates, the exudation increases, and central swallowing disorders and antidiuretic hormone deficiency, etc., lead to excessive amniotic fluid formation and reduced reflux. Fetal esophageal and duodenal atresia can cause fetal swallowing of amniotic fluid and cause polyhydramnios.

2. Chromosomal abnormalities: Fetuses with trisomy 18, trisomy 21, and trisomy 13 may have difficulty swallowing amniotic fluid, causing polyhydramnios.

3. Twin pregnancy: About 12% of twin pregnancies are complicated by polyhydramnios, which is more than 10 times that of single pregnancy. In the case of monozygotic, monochorionic and diamniotic sacs, the two placentas have arteriovenous anastomosis, which can easily lead to twin-twin transfusion syndrome. The recipient fetus's circulating blood volume increases, the fetal urine volume increases, and polyhydramnios occurs.

4. Pregnancy complicated by diabetes: The mother's high blood sugar level leads to increased blood sugar in the fetus, producing osmotic diuresis, and increased placental and fetal membrane exudation leading to polyhydramnios.

5. Fetal edema: Polyhydramnios is related to fetal immune edema (such as hemolysis due to maternal-fetal blood type incompatibility) and non-immune edema (mostly caused by intrauterine infection).

6. Placental and umbilical cord lesions: Giant placenta and velamentous attachment of the umbilical cord can lead to polyhydramnios. When the diameter of placental chorioangioma is greater than 1 cm, 15%-30% may be accompanied by polyhydramnios.

7. Idiopathic polyhydramnios: accounts for about 30%, without abnormalities of the pregnant woman, fetus or placenta. The cause is unknown.