Polyhydramnios
Excess amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac.
An excess of amniotic fluid within the amniotic sac is the defining characteristic of the medical condition polyhydramnios.[1] Roughly one percent of all pregnancies are affected by this condition.[1]
Quick Facts
- Prevalence
- about 1% of pregnancies
- Diagnostic threshold
- amniotic fluid index (AFI) greater than 24 cm / 9.45 in
- Clinical varieties
- chronic polyhydramnios and acute polyhydramnios
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
The two clinical forms of polyhydramnios are chronic, in which fluid builds up slowly, and acute, where the accumulation happens quickly.[1] For the majority of cases, no specific underlying cause is found.[2] Fetal urine is the source of amniotic fluid, while the fluid is reduced through fetal swallowing and absorption within the intestines.[2] Excessive fluid accumulation can result from any factor that boosts fetal urine output or hinders the fetus's ability to swallow or absorb fluid.[2]
Expectant management is the approach for mild polyhydramnios that does not cause symptoms.[3] Hospitalization may be required for a pregnant woman who experiences symptoms from polyhydramnios.[3] To alleviate heartburn and nausea, antacids can be given.[3] There is no evidence to support restricting salt or fluid intake through diet.[3]
Therapeutic amniocentesis, also referred to as amnioreduction, has been employed in certain cases.[3]
What the research sources say
A recent investigation separated polyhydramnios into mild and severe categories, finding that low Apgar scores (below 7), perinatal death, and structural abnormalities were observed exclusively in the severe group.[4] In a separate study, no chromosomal abnormalities were detected in any polyhydramnios patients whose fetus appeared sonographically normal.[4]
References
- Wikipedia, "Polyhydramnios" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Alexander ES, Spitz HB, Clark RA, "Sonography of polyhydramnios", AJR Am J Roentgenol, 1982, p. 343–6; Hill LM, Breckle R, Thomas ML, Fries JK, "Polyhydramnios: ultrasonically detected prevalence and neonatal outcome", Obstet Gynecol, January 1987, p. 21–5; Hobbins JC, Grannum PA, Berkowitz RL, Silverman R, Mahoney MJ, "Ultrasound in the diagnosis of congenital anomalies", Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., June 1979, p. 331–45; Barnhard Y, Bar-Hava I, Divon MY, "Is polyhydramnios in an ultrasonographically normal fetus an indication for genetic e en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Polyhydramnios" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hwang, "Polyhydramnios", StatPearls, 2026; Hwang, "Polyhydramnios", StatPearls, 2026; Hwang, "Polyhydramnios", StatPearls, 2026 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Polyhydramnios" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Amnioreduction for treatment of severe polyhydramnios", Acta Biomedica, 2004, p. 56–8 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Polyhydramnios" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bundgaard A, Andersen BR, Rode L, Lebech M, Tabor A, Prevalence of polyhydramnios at a Danish hospital—a population-based study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2007; Barnhard Y, Bar-Hava I, Divon MY, "Is polyhydramnios in an ultrasonographically normal fetus an indication for genetic evaluation?", Obstet Gynecol, Nov 1995, p. 1523–7 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Polyhydramnios (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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