Amniotic fluid rate

The unborn child develops in the mother's body in a special bladder called the amnion. Its main task is to create ideal conditions for the child for development and the production of amniotic water.

What is Amniotic Fluid

The fluid that fills the fetal bladder is very important for the development of the baby. She is the first habitat for the baby and provides him with comfort and protection. Thanks to the amniotic waters, the baby is always in an environment with temperature+37 degrees. The fluid inside the amnion protects the baby from the attack of microorganisms and other negative influences from the environment.

The production of fluid inside the amnion is constant, but its amount changes due to the duration of pregnancy. The longer the period, the more fetal fluid surrounds the baby. The maximum amount of fluid inside the amnion is usually observed at 36 weeks of gestation. Basically, its volume reaches up to one and a half liters. By the day of childbirth, its amount decreases due to the preparation of the body for childbirth.

During the development of pregnancy, not only the volume of fluid surrounding the fetus changes, but also its composition. It contains everything that is required to feed the baby and provide him with oxygen. Also, in the composition of the amniotic waters there are substances that come from the mother's blood, the baby's urine and the products of the baby's sebaceous glands.

Fertile fluid performs very important tasks:

• It provides a material exchange, providing the crumbs necessary for life. In response, the child removes processed products into the amniotic waters, which are then excreted through the maternal excretory system.
• Protects the baby from physical damage, does not allow tissues to grow together and does not allow the umbilical cord to be squeezed. Thanks to the fluid inside the amnion, the child can freely move and develop intensively.
• The sterility of the aquatic environment of the fetal bladder protects the baby from infection.
• Amniotic waters are constantly renewed to maintain the optimal chemical composition for the child.
• The role of waters is also great in the process childbirth... They help open the cervix and help the baby pass through the birth canal.
• By the appearance and chemical composition of the fluid in the amnion cavity, it is possible to draw a conclusion about the condition of the fetus, determine the sex of the baby and its blood group, and identify possible pathologies and hereditary diseases at an early stage.

Amniotic fluid index by week

To identify possible pathologies of amniotic fluid, an indicator such as the amniotic fluid index or AFI is used. It shows the volume of amniotic water. Depending on the value of this index, polyhydramnios or low water is established.

number fruit waters increases weekly by about 50 ml. The table showing the amount of amniotic water shows the average value of their volume, as well as the maximum permissible limits. By the volume of fluid in the cavity of the fetal bladder, it is possible to establish such problems as the earlier rupture of the fetal fluid, the weakness of the labor process, the underdevelopment of the baby due to its poor oxygen supply, and predict bleeding that is possible after childbirth.

Causes of low water

Many problems can lead to an insufficient amount of amniotic fluid:

• Problems of the genitourinary system.
• Genetic prerequisites for the development of a small amount of amniotic fluid.
• Problems with blood pressure, namely its high values.
• The period of exacerbation of chronic diseases during pregnancy.
• Bacterial infection.
• Multiple pregnancy.
• The pregnancy is too long. Due to prolongation, the placenta begins to collapse, as its service life has expired. At the same time, the volume of fetal waters decreases. In this case, childbirth is artificially provoked.
• Different Rh factor in the blood of the fetus and the mother.
• Diabetes.
• Various ailments of the placenta.
• Placental insufficiency.
• Weak development of the secretory layer or its pathology.

Low water can be of varying degrees. With moderate low water, the decrease in the amount of fluid is moderate. It is not as dangerous as a pronounced lack of amniotic fluid, but it can still have an unpleasant effect on the condition of the child. Lack of fetal water can cause low weight of the child, problems with the hip joints and various pathologies of the baby's spine.

Causes of polyhydramnios

In other circumstances, the opposite condition also takes place, when the amount of fetal fluid exceeds, to one degree or another, normal values. The reasons that lead to this state can be different. The exact cause may not always be identified, but there are several risk groups of women in whom the state of polyhydramnios is more likely to develop:

• A pregnant woman suffers from diabetes mellitus.
• The expectant mother has various kinds of infections.
• Presence of kidney disease.
• Pathology of the heart and blood vessels.
• Different Rh factor in the blood of the fetus and the mother.
• Pregnancy with two or more babies. In this case, there are cases when one fetus has polyhydramnios, and the other has oligohydramnios.
• The fetus is too heavy.
• Weak excretory function of the fetus.
• The baby has impaired swallowing function.
• The child has developmental defects.

Very often, the rapid increase in the amount of amniotic fluid has dangerous consequences. This condition is fraught with premature birth, chronic fetal hypoxia and its death, the most complex defects of the child's internal organs develop, the baby can become infected. With the rapidly developing polyhydramnios, the likelihood of bleeding is high. During childbirth, the umbilical cord or part of the baby's body may fall out of the birth canal. In most cases, polyhydramnios causes a caesarean section.