Kidney or urinary tract defects in the baby.The most common factors causing low amniotic fluid levels are: Swallowing and excreting the fluid encourages the development and use of the digestive system.Allows the baby to practice breathing later in pregnancy, helping the development of lung and respiratory structures.Keeps the baby warm and the temperature at a constant 37.6C (99.7F).Floating in the fluid also prevents compression on the umbilical cord, which would deprive the baby of oxygen.Allows the baby to move, allowing muscles and bones to develop and grow and protecting from infection.Acts as a cushion and protects the baby from any trauma or injury that might occur (for example, if the mother slips or experiences a sudden sharp movement, such as falling over or a car accident).The amniotic fluid has quite a few roles and these are either for development or protection. So, what causes this and how does it affect labour and birth? Why Does The Amniotic Fluid Level Matter? Low Amniotic Fluid LevelsĪpproximately 4% of women will be diagnosed with low amniotic fluid levels (oligohydramnios) during pregnancy. The lungs are also filled with amniotic fluid, and the baby will practice breathing toward the end of pregnancy. Over time, most of the amniotic fluid will be urine created by the baby. In the second trimester, the baby swallows and excretes the amniotic fluid. The amniotic sac will hold the baby and the amniotic fluid for the duration of your pregnancy.ĭuring the first trimester, the amniotic fluid is mostly made up of fluid passed from the mother. This article has been written in simple terms, to help you understand what that means for you and your baby.Īround day 12 after conception, the amniotic sac begins to form inside the uterus. Study co-authors were Rita Driggers, Karin Blakemore and Cynthia Holcroft.Have you been told your baby has low amniotic fluid levels? Babies born to moms with isolated low amniotic fluid were normal size and were at no increased risk of respiratory problems, immature intestines or brain disorders. Patients with oligohydramnios were delivered sooner, but were less likely to need Caesarian sections. The researchers studied 262 women (131 with oligohydramnios and 131 with normal amounts of amniotic fluid) who gave birth at The Johns Hopkins Hospital between November 1999 and July 2002, comparing the babies' health at birth. This study shows the fluid test is not as good as we thought, and there is most likely no reason to deliver the baby early if other tests are normal." "Amniotic fluid stems from the baby's urine, and the urine results from good blood flow, so if we see low fluid we assume there probably is not good blood flow and the fetus is compromised. Graham, M.D., senior author of the study and assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics. "These study results are very surprising – they go against the conventional wisdom," says Ernest M. Normal amounts range from 5 to 25 centimeters any amount less than 5 centimeters is considered low. Amniotic fluid is measured by depth in centimeters. Typically, doctors have been concerned about women with low amniotic fluid during the third trimester – a condition called oligohydramnios – because too little fluid can be associated with incomplete development of the lungs, poor fetal growth and complications with delivery. No significant differences were found in the babies' birthweights, levels of acid in the umbilical cord blood, or lengths of stay in the hospital. 7 at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in San Francisco, researchers show that babies born under such conditions at 37 weeks' gestation fared similarly to those born to women whose wombs held normal amounts of amniotic fluid. Doctors may not have to deliver a baby early if it has low amniotic fluid surrounding it, Johns Hopkins obstetricians report.
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