What happens if low amniotic fluid

Home Blogs Topics Intermountain Moms Facebook Twitter. Kasee Bailey May 30, The amount of amniotic fluid present reflects the health and well-being of your baby. Low levels of amniotic fluid are experienced by 8 percent of pregnant woman , 4 percent labeled as having oligohydramnios and can be caused by a number of different factors, including: Maternal Health Conditions , including dehydration, diabetes, preeclampsia, hypoxia, and more. Infant Health Conditions , like birth defects say, poor development of kidneys or the urinary tract , or inhibited growth.

Placental Abruption , a occurrence in which the placenta breaks free of the inner uterine wall before delivery. Also, if your placenta is not providing enough nutrients to baby, he or she may not be producing fluids. Use of Certain Medications Membrane Ruptures , tears as in, your water breaking that prematurely drain your body of precious fluid.

Past-Due Pregnancies , or pregnancies that exceed 42 weeks. If you are not a full term yet, your doctor will monitor you and your levels very closely. If you are close to full term, then delivery is usually what most doctors recommend in situations of low amniotic fluid levels. Other treatments that may be used include:. Cunningham, F. Gary, et al, Ch. Low Amniotic Fluid Levels: Oligohydramnios.

What is oligohydramnios? What causes low amniotic fluid? Birth defects — Problems with the development of the kidneys or urinary tract which could cause little urine production, leading to low levels of amniotic fluid. Placental problems — If the placenta is not providing enough blood and nutrients to the baby, then the baby may stop recycling fluid. Leaking or rupture of membranes —This may be a gush of fluid or a slow constant trickle of fluid.

This is due to a tear in the membrane. Premature rupture of membranes PROM can also result in low amniotic fluid levels. Post Date Pregnancy — A postdate pregnancy one that goes over 42 weeks can have low levels of amniotic fluid, which could be a result of declining placental function. Maternal Complications — Factors such as maternal dehydration , hypertension, preeclampsia, diabetes , and chronic hypoxia can have an effect on amniotic fluid levels. What are the risks of having low amniotic fluid?

If oligohydramnios is detected in the first half of pregnancy, the complications can be more serious and include: Compression of fetal organs resulting in birth defects Increased chance of miscarriage or stillbirth If oligohydramnios is detected in the second half of pregnancy, complications can include: Intrauterine Growth Restriction IUGR Preterm birth Labor complications such as cord compression, meconium-stained fluid, and cesarean delivery What treatments are available?

Other treatments that may be used include: Amnio-infusion during labor through an intrauterine catheter. This added fluid helps with padding around the umbilical cord during delivery and is reported to help lower the chances of cesarean delivery. Injection of fluid prior to delivery through amniocentesis. After that, it gradually decreases until you give birth. During the first 14 weeks of your pregnancy, fluid passes from your circulatory system into the amniotic sac.

Early in the second trimester , your baby starts to swallow the fluid, pass it through their kidneys, and excrete it as urine, which they then swallow again, recycling the full volume of amniotic fluid every few hours. Yes, this means that most of the fluid is eventually your baby's urine!

So your baby plays an important role in keeping just the right amount of fluid in the amniotic sac. Sometimes, though, this system breaks down, resulting in either too much or too little fluid — both of which can present problems. Your practitioner may suspect this problem if you're leaking fluid, measuring small for your stage of pregnancy, or not feeling your baby move very much.

She may also be on the lookout for it if you've previously had a baby whose growth was restricted or if you have certain pregnancy complications see maternal complications, below , or if you're past your due date. To find out what's going on, your practitioner will send you for an ultrasound.

The sonographer will measure the largest pockets of amniotic fluid in four different sections of your uterus and add them together to see where you rate on the amniotic fluid index AFI. A normal measure for the third trimester is between 5 and 25 centimeters cm.

A total of less than 5 cm is considered low. Experts don't always know what causes low levels of amniotic fluid. In fact, most women with oligohydramnios have no identifiable cause. The later in pregnancy the condition develops, the better the outlook for your baby. Maternal complications. Complications such as chronic high blood pressure , preeclampsia , diabetes , and lupus can result in low amniotic fluid levels. Placental problems A problem with your placenta, such as a partial abruption , in which the placenta peels away from the inner wall of the uterus, can lead to low levels of amniotic fluid.

If the placenta doesn't supply enough blood and nutrients to your baby, he will stop producing urine. Leaky or ruptured membranes A small tear in your amniotic membranes can allow some fluid to leak out. This can happen at any point in your pregnancy, but it's more common as you approach delivery. You may notice the leaking fluid yourself if you find that your underwear is wet, or your practitioner may discover it during an exam.

Let your practitioner know if you suspect your amniotic fluid is leaking. A ruptured membrane can increase the risk of infection for both you and your baby because it provides a way for bacteria to enter the amniotic sac. Occasionally, a tear in the sac will heal on its own, the leaking will stop, and the fluid level will return to normal.

This is usually the case if the leaking happens after an amniocentesis. Certain medications Some medications, such as ACE inhibitors, can contribute to oligohydramnios. Carrying twins or multiples You're at risk for low fluid levels if you're carrying twins or multiples. Oligohydramnios is likely in the case of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, in which one twin has too little amniotic fluid while the other has too much.