What should I do if the fetus has low amniotic fluid?

Amniotic fluid appears in the uterus before the embryo is formed. It is the fluid that maintains the normal development of the fetus after pregnancy. However, abnormal amniotic fluid during pregnancy is also very common, including turbid amniotic fluid, too little amniotic fluid, etc. Amniocentesis is also very common, and it is an important means of detecting fetal malformations. So what should we do if there is too little amniotic fluid in the uterus?

Oligohydramnios refers to the amount of amniotic fluid less than 300ml in late pregnancy. Too little amniotic fluid can seriously affect the effect of perinatal treatment (perinatal refers to the fetus or newborn during the period before, during and after delivery of the pregnant woman, usually from the 28th week of pregnancy to 7 days after delivery. The incidence of oligohydramnios is 0.4%-4%. If the amount of amniotic fluid is less than 50ml, the perinatal mortality rate is as high as 88%.

The most common causes of oligohydramnios include ruptured membranes, placental problems, and disease factors. Oligohydramnios is most common during the last stages of pregnancy, especially after the due date. The later the oligohydramnios condition occurs, the less impact the fetus will have.

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.

3. 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. Expectant mothers should stay in a good mood and cooperate with treatment. Family members should also provide more psychological comfort and care to help eliminate the psychological worries of expectant mothers.

How to supplement the low amniotic fluid

For those with too little amniotic fluid, in addition to treating the mother's disease, if the fetus is found to be normal after examination and the pregnant woman has no serious complications, the amount of amniotic fluid can be increased by drinking water quickly under the guidance of a doctor. Pregnant women who are full-term and have not yet given birth and are lacking in amniotic fluid can drink 2000 ml of water within 2 hours. If the requirement is still not met, the above method can be repeated.

Drinking water quickly is safe, effective, simple and easy. Because drinking water can promote blood circulation in pregnant women, indirectly the circulation of the uterus and placenta is also increased, thus achieving the purpose of increasing amniotic fluid.

You can also use amnioinfusion to directly increase the amount of amniotic fluid. However, if an assessment reveals that the fetus is at risk of infection, or is in poor condition and no longer suitable to live in the uterus, it should be delivered immediately and properly cared for.