Leakage of amniotic fluid

Contents

What is amniotic fluid
How to identify amniotic fluid leakage
What to do with leakage of amniotic fluid
- The first step is to check if they are leaking
- The second step is to see a doctor immediately.
Popular questions and answers

Leakage of amniotic fluid is a warning sign. It is even worse when they leak for a long time, and the expectant mother does not even know about it. ” Healthy Food Near Me” will tell you what amniotic fluid is, why leakage is dangerous. We deal with an obstetrician-gynecologist with 20 years of experience

What is amniotic fluid

Amniotic fluid or otherwise amniotic fluid is a biologically active liquid medium that is inside the fetal membranes during pregnancy. They protect the baby from infections.

As tells obstetrician-gynecologist Yulia Golesheva, amniotic fluid is necessary for the normal development of the child. They play the role of a shock absorber between the baby and the wall of the uterus, protecting it from mechanical pressure from the outside.

In addition, waters have antibacterial properties, protect against external influence of microbes, protect the umbilical cord from being squeezed, help the maturation of the lungs, and are a source of nutrients for the baby. Thanks to the waters, the child can move, which contributes to the normal development of the musculoskeletal system, and the waters also maintain the temperature regime. The volume of amniotic fluid may fluctuate. The fetal membranes do not allow water to leak out. Both the state of amniotic fluid and the prognosis for pregnancy depend on their strength and integrity. The fetal membranes are hermetic, says the specialist.

How to identify amniotic fluid leakage

It is rare for a woman to independently determine the leakage of amniotic fluid. If there is any suspicion of this, home tests can be used.

– If the discharge is small, then home tests for amniotic fluid leakage can be used to decide on the need to go to the genus. They are based on determining the change in the acidity of the pH of the vaginal environment – it becomes more alkaline due to mixing with water. But they are not very accurate. A shift in pH can also be observed in bacterial vaginosis, which is not accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the membranes. More accurate and sensitive tests are based on the detection of specific proteins that are present only in the amniotic fluid, and nowhere else – microglobulin-1 and placental growth factor. Tests that are based on the determination of microglobulin are the most accurate – their effectiveness is above 97%. Yulia Golesheva.

What to do with leakage of amniotic fluid

The first step is to check if they are leaking

As mentioned above, not all women can independently understand whether their water is leaking or not. Signals that may make a pregnant woman think about water leakage: watery discharge that appeared suddenly, more liquid and copious than before.

But if you still suspect this, take a diaper and sit on it for about an hour. Normally, the diaper should not get wet through.

If you don’t want to bother with a diaper and rather find out if you are panicking in vain or not, you can do a test for amniotic fluid leakage. According to the doctor, tests that are based on the determination of microglobulin have a 97% success rate.

The second step is to see a doctor immediately.

The second step is reassurance or immediate medical attention. The diaper is dry, the test is negative, which means you can exhale, you were afraid in vain.

But if the diaper got wet, the test showed a “plus”, this is already a reason to see a doctor, and also immediately! Leakage of amniotic fluid is a dangerous violation that needs to be quickly eliminated. Do not wait for a scheduled appointment, contact your doctor immediately or call an ambulance – now you need constant monitoring.

– If you suspect a leak or outflow of water, regardless of the gestational age, you should consult a doctor. If the effusion is complete, then immediately to the hospital. When the term is full, the woman is prepared for childbirth, in the preterm period, antibacterial treatment is carried out and RDS of the fetus is prevented, preparing the lungs of the fetus. Whenever a water leak is suspected and a positive test is obtained, we prepare for an early delivery, regardless of the gestational age. I had one case where water leakage was confirmed three times at 16 weeks pregnant. The woman in labor at that time was already 35 years old, and had a history of several premature births. But this time it was possible to prolong her pregnancy to a normal period. Such cases are rare, but they always inspire and give hope to those who despair, the doctor notes.

Popular questions and answers

Answers Yulia Golesheva – obstetrician, gynecologist, gynecologist-endocrinologist, reproductologist:

Is there a safe waterless gap?

Even with normal delivery on time, an anhydrous gap is inevitable. Since from the moment the front waters are poured out to the birth of the baby, some time passes. In obstetrics, there are norms and algorithms for conducting childbirth.

Conditionally “normal” can be called an anhydrous period of up to 6 hours. After this time, the decision on management tactics is made by the doctor, depending on the condition of the woman and the baby. Sometimes, if all indicators are good, they can simply continue observation for up to 12 hours. Fortunately, in my many years of experience in the outpatient department, I have practically never seen a large number of pregnant women with water leakage. Since this is not always a good sign.

How does the water leave?

Normally, they are torn only in childbirth – at the peak of contractions before the end of the first birth period. The discharge of water at any other time is considered premature. Sometimes there is a crack in the amniotic membranes or a small high lateral tear, so the outflow of water may not be as noticeable. But some signals can make a pregnant woman think about water leakage. It may be a watery discharge that appears suddenly, more liquid and plentiful than before.

Is it normal for amniotic fluid to become cloudy?

Leaking water is usually odorless and colorless or has a slight yellowish tint and is therefore often confused with urine. Regardless of the gestational age, you should consult a doctor. Violation of the tightness of the shells leads to the fact that favorable conditions are created for the penetration of microbes. Accordingly, if a violation of the integrity of the fetal bladder is suspected, measures are immediately taken, the infection of the child is prevented by prescribing antibacterial drugs.

As a rule, amniotic fluid is transparent and colorless, because in fact it is the urine of the fetus. But in some cases, the outflowing amniotic fluid has a color. The greenish color of the water is due to the ingress of meconium into the amniotic fluid, which is possible with oxygen starvation (asphyxia), infection. With long-term asphyxia, even the color of the membranes can change. Long-term existence in these conditions, with the constant ingestion of meconium in the prenatal state, the fetus has problems with the development of the central nervous system. Red color or pinkish is due to the ingress of blood from the vessels of the umbilical cord, yellowish – with Rhesus conflict. Therefore, the coloration of water, cloudiness is always an alarming sign.