Publication:

A clinical study of fetomaternal outcome in pregnancy with polyhydramnios

Background Amniotic fluid not only provides protection to the fetus from traumatic forces, cord compression, and microbial pathogens, but also plays an integral role in the normal development of the fetal musculoskeletal, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems. Polyhydramnios, defined as an excessive amount of amniotic fluid, complicates approximately 0.4-3.3% of all pregnancies. Fetal conditions that are associated with polyhydramnios include major congenital anomalies and both the immunologic and non-immunologic forms of hydrops foetalis. Maternal medical conditions are also known to be associated with polyhydramnios and subsequently alter perinatal outcome. So by diagnosing these cases as early as possible, these maternal complications can be prevented and advise proper prenatal counseling in relevant cases.

Methods This study was conducted in obstetrics and gynaecology department at a tertiary care hospital, over the period of from September 2015 to September 2016. Prospective observational study.

Results Polyhydramnios is commoner in primigravida. Causative factor are mainly idiopathic after which the most important is fetal defects. Diabetes is also associated finding with polyhydramnios in 8.3% cases. The occurrence of fetal congenital abnormality was directly proportional to the gestational age of pregnancy. Incidence of congenital abnormality was found to be 1.25 %. Congenital heart disease and cleft lip and cleft palate (3%) were the commonest congenital abnormality associated with polyhydramnios followed by anencephaly and spina bifida (3.3%).

Conclusions In our study Idiopathic polyhydramnios was found to be the most common cause of polyhydramnios. A careful study must be done for detection of etiological factors in all cases of polyhydramnios, careful screening, prenatal and antenatal counseling will help to improve the foetal outcome as well as to prevent the maternal complication.