What to do in case of decreased amniotic fluid

If it is found that there is little amniotic fluid in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, it is recommended that the woman take measures to try to minimize the problem, being indicated that she stay at rest and drink plenty of water, as this in addition to preventing the loss of amniotic fluid, increases the production of this liquid, avoiding complications.

The reduction in the volume of amniotic fluid at any stage of pregnancy can lead to lung problems in the baby or abortion, but in these cases, the obstetrician makes weekly assessments of the amount of amniotic fluid, with ultrasound and ultrasound, to decide if there is a need to induce delivery, especially when it happens in the last trimester of pregnancy.

Consequences of decreased amniotic fluid

The decrease in amniotic fluid is called oligohydramnios and can result in complications for the baby, mainly. This is because the amniotic fluid is responsible for regulating the temperature, allows the development and movement of the baby, prevents trauma and compression of the umbilical cord, in addition to protecting the baby against infections. Thus, with the decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid, the baby becomes more exposed to different situations.

Thus, oligohydramnios can make the baby smaller for gestational age and have delayed development and growth, especially of the lungs and kidneys, because the presence of amniotic fluid in normal amounts ensures the formation of the digestive and respiratory system, and also serves to protect the baby from infections and injuries and to allow the baby to move around in the belly, strengthening its muscles as it grows.

Thus, when the amount of amniotic fluid is very low in the first half of pregnancy, up to 24 weeks, the most common complication is abortion. When the decrease occurs in the second half of pregnancy, it may be necessary to induce labor, with the risk that, depending on the gestational age, the baby will be born with low weight, mental retardation, breathing difficulties and greater chances of developing serious infections, which can put the baby's life at risk.

In addition, the amount of amniotic fluid interferes with the baby's visualization through ultrasound. That is, if there is less liquid, the more difficult it is to visualize and identify fetal changes.

In case of decreased amniotic fluid during delivery

In cases where the pregnant woman goes into labor with little amniotic fluid, the obstetrician can insert a small tube to the uterus to insert a substance that replaces the amniotic fluid, in the case of normal delivery, and which allows to avoid complications such as lack of oxygen in the baby, which can happen if the umbilical cord gets stuck between the mother and the baby.

However, this treatment is not used to treat the lack of amniotic fluid during pregnancy because it only works while the fluid is being injected during normal birth. During pregnancy, treatment can vary according to the gestational age and the amount of amniotic fluid, and maternal hydration can be performed, in which serum is administered to the mother to increase the amount of fluid, or amnioinfusion, which is a more invasive procedure in which saline is administered directly into the amniotic cavity to restore the normal amount of amniotic fluid, to allow a better visualization of the baby on ultrasound and to prevent complications. Despite being advantageous, amnioinfusion is an invasive procedure that can increase the risk of placental detachment or premature delivery.

Know what to do when you are losing amniotic fluid.

Normal amounts of amniotic fluid per quarter

The normal amount of amniotic fluid in the pregnant woman's belly during pregnancy increases every week, at the end of:

• 1st Trimester (between 1 and 12 weeks): there is about 50 ml of amniotic fluid; 2nd Trimester (between 13 and 24 weeks): approximately 600 ml of amniotic fluid; 3rd Trimester (from 25 weeks until the end of pregnancy): there are between 1000 to 1500 ml of amniotic fluid. We are a family owned and operated business.

Normally, the amniotic fluid increases by about 25 ml until the 15th week of gestation and then 50 ml per week is produced until 34 weeks, and from then on it decreases until the date of delivery.