Oligohydramnios is a condition where there is less than normal amniotic fluid present during pregnancy, which can cause a range of issues for the fetus. Causes include ruptured or leaking amniotic sacs, problems with fetal urinary tract function, and twin-to-twin transfusion. Treatment options are limited, but doctors may observe the pregnancy closely, induce labor, or give drugs to speed up lung development. Amnioinfusion is not a standard treatment and has conflicting studies on its effectiveness.
Hydramnios and oligohydramnios are conditions that affect the amount of amniotic fluid that exists in the amniotic sac when a woman is pregnant. There are higher than normal levels of fluid in hydramnios. Oligohydramnios means that there is less than normal amount of amniotic fluid present. Both conditions can be problematic in a pregnancy, although many women have normal pregnancies and deliveries despite differences in fluid levels.
There are many potential reasons for the occurrence of oligohydramnios. One of them is if the amniotic sac has ruptured or is leaking in some way. This may mean that the fluid is leaving the sac and failing to provide the necessary protection to the fetus. Another common cause is problems with fetal urinary tract function and especially the kidneys. Since it is the urination of the fetus that keeps the amniotic fluid at a level, problems affecting urination could result in low fluid levels. While less common, other problems such as fluid communication between twins (twin-to-twin transfusion) are also important.
Oligohydramnios increases in risk once a pregnancy has passed to full term. While there is about a one to two percent chance of this occurring during the normal pregnancy period, this percentage increases when a baby is late. In this case, lower amniotic fluid is often thought to be a natural part of late pregnancy. It may have a very minor effect on babies, and if doctors are concerned, they can usually induce labor safely.
There is a range of conditions that oligohydramnios can cause. If the problem stems from kidney or urinary tract problems, they may need to be addressed once the baby is born, but treatment may also be needed to prevent problems with low fluid intake for the fetus. For example, when this condition occurs in pregnancy, some babies will have trouble developing their lungs properly and others will end up with limb defects. There is also a strong connection between low fluid levels and poor growth in the fetus.
A frustrating aspect of this condition is that not all women will know they have it. Some women experience significant amniotic fluid leakage, but others are diagnosed only with tests such as ultrasound. Ultrasound or ultrasonography is the gold standard for diagnosing oligohydramnios. With this diagnosis, women can expect to have more extensive monitoring of their pregnancies.
From a medical standpoint, there is little or little that can be done to treat this condition. Provided the health of the fetus appears strong, the only treatment may be to observe the pregnancy closely. Alternatively, if the pregnancy is nearing term and the fetus needs support outside the uterus, early delivery might be considered. Doctors might also give drugs to speed up lung development.
A procedure recommended by some doctors is amnioinfusion. This adds fluids to the amniotic fluids. Amnioinfusion is not a standard treatment for oligohydramnios, and there are conflicting studies on whether this procedure should be attempted, especially to halt problems that may occur with lung development.
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