Decreased amniotic fluid index in low-risk pregnancy

Area of Science:

• Perinatology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Obstetrics

Background:

• Decreased amniotic fluid volume (AFI), also known as oligohydramnios, is a condition that can complicate pregnancies.
• Isolated decreased AFI after 30 weeks' gestation requires careful evaluation of perinatal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the perinatal outcomes in low-risk singleton pregnancies diagnosed with isolated decreased amniotic fluid volume (AFI) after 30 weeks' gestation.
• To compare outcomes between pregnancies with AFI ≤ 5 cm and those with borderline AFI (> 5 cm but < 2.5th percentile).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 150 low-risk singleton pregnancies with decreased AFI after 30 weeks' gestation.
• Comparison of perinatal outcomes between two groups: AFI ≤ 5 cm (n=57) and borderline AFI (n=93).
• Assessment of antepartum, intrapartum, and neonatal measures using Student t test and chi-squared analysis.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in labor induction for abnormal non-stress tests, cesarean sections for fetal heart rate abnormalities, meconium presence, or Apgar scores < 7 at five minutes between groups.
• No perinatal deaths occurred in either group.
• Antepartum variable decelerations were more frequent in pregnancies with AFI ≤ 5 cm (63.1%) compared to borderline AFI (45.1%).

Conclusions:

• Isolated decreased amniotic fluid volume (AFI) after 30 weeks' gestation in low-risk pregnancies is associated with generally good perinatal outcomes.
• Antepartum monitoring appears sufficient for managing these pregnancies effectively.
• While variable decelerations were more common with lower AFI, overall adverse perinatal events were not significantly different.