Polyhydramnios at 32 weeks gestation

Sometimes, during the third scheduled ultrasound screening at 32 weeks of gestation, the doctor puts the future mother diagnosed with polyhydramnios. According to statistics, such a pathology is observed only in 2-3% of women, but it is quite serious and requires very careful observation.

In this article we will tell you what is polyhydramnios during pregnancy, what are its causes, and how dangerous is this condition.

The diagnosis of "polyhydramnios" implies an increase in the amount of amniotic fluid in the abdomen of a pregnant woman. Compliance is checked by means of the amniotic fluid index. If the value of this indicator at the 32-week period exceeds 269 mm, one can speak of polyhydramnios.

The main causes of polyhydramnios in pregnancy

The most common causes of polyhydramnios during pregnancy are the following:

• a large fruit;
• Rhesus-conflict between mother and child;
• multiple pregnancies;
• anemia in the child;
• intrauterine malformations and fetal infections;
• flu, cold and other infections in the expectant mother;
• diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and kidney problems in the mother.

What is dangerous polyhydramnios during pregnancy?

Labor during polyhydramnios can begin even at the 32nd week of pregnancy, because with this pathology, premature delivery is not uncommon. The baby in this situation, even in later terms, has a very large space to move, so often he takes a wrong position in the maternal tummy, which inevitably entails a cesarean section.

The consequences of polyhydramnios for a child can be deplorable - because of the freedom of movement the baby can get confused in his own umbilical cord. In addition, quite often in this pathology, fetoplacental insufficiency is observed - a condition in which the fetus does not receive enough oxygen, which can lead to a serious delay in development.

Thus, when setting the diagnosis of "polyhydramnios", the expectant mother needs to carefully monitor her health and consult a doctor with any alarming symptoms, and if the attending doctor insists on ante-natal hospitalization, do not give up.