Introduction :Amniotic fluid volume is an important parameter in the assessment of fetal-wellbeing. Oligohydromnios occurs in many high risk conditions and is associated with poor perinatal
outcome. Many caregivers practice planned delivery by induction of labor or caesarean section after
diagnosis of decreased amniotic fluid at term by an ultrsound.Decreased amniotic fluid volume is
correlated with increased peripartum morbidity and mortality. Many ultrasonic methods are used to
evaluate the amniotic fluid adequacy but which of these are the best, the current study will evaluate
the different methods available and are commonly used in clinical practice.
Objective:1.To compare the use of the amniotic fluid index with the single deepest vertical pocket
measurement as a screening tool for decreased amniotic fluid volume .
2.Show the relation of that screening tool for evaluating oligohydromnios to common obstetric
intervention used to terminate the pregnancy.
3.Study the effects of that method of assessing oligohydromnios , obstetric intervention on the
neonatal outcome.
Materials and methods:300 pregnant women attending Babylon maternity teaching hospital ( both
out-patient and in- patient )from 2002 -2006, they were visiting the ultrasound department of that
hospital after 34 weeks of their pregnancy for antepartum assessment of fetal well-being, a diagnosis of
oligohydromnios was made by the ultrasonographer using 2 methods for evaluation, the deep
amniotic fluid pocket <2cm x 1cm or amniotic fluid index=or< 5cm,then following the patients till
labor was induced, or the women had cesarean section for fetal distress, neonatal outcome was
followed also.
Results:
1.When the amniotic fluid index was used ,significantly more cases of oligohydromnios were
diagnosed and more women had induction of labor ,60 % versus 15% in those with the diagnosis of
oligohydromnios made by deep amniotic fluid pocket,P- value was 0.001.
2.Women with oligohydromnios diagnosed withAFI <5cm were more likely to undergo cesarean
section delivery for fetal intolerance of labour(25% versus 10,% in those with deep pocket ),p-value
was 0.014.
3.There was no difference between the 2 groups for neonatal outcome, including : admission to a
neonatal intensive care unit, birth weight, the prescence of meconium, an Apgar score of less than 7 at
five minutes.
Conclusion: The present study shows that single deepest vertical measurement in the assessment of
amniotic fluid volume during fetal surveillance seems abetter choice since the use of the amniotic
fluid index increases the rate of diagnosis of oligohydromnios without improvement in peripartum
outcome. |