Prenatal ultrasound factors and genetic disorders in pregnancies complicated by polyhydramnios

The objective of the study is to examine the incidence of chromosomal or genetic abnormalities in pregnancies complicated by polyhydramnios and to assess the value of prenatal ultrasound findings in the prediction of cases associated with such disorders.

We searched the prenatal records of all patients delivered in our hospital with a diagnosis of polyhydramnios during pregnancy. For each case, maternal characteristics, ultrasound findings, and genetic testing results were recorded. A postnatal follow-up program of at least 6 months, including a clinical assessment by a clinical geneticist, was carried out in all cases.

On a total of 195 cases, genetic testing and clinical examination identified a chromosomal or genetic disease in 26 (13.3%) cases. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that significant predictors of a genetic disorder were a deepest vertical pocket of amniotic fluid of ≥13.0 cm (OR 4.306, 95%CI: 1.535-12.079) and reduced fetal movements (OR 25.084, 95%CI: 4.577-137.461), but not the presence of a structural defect.

A postnatal clinical follow-up program can reveal chromosomal or genetic disorders in about 13% of neonates with a prenatal diagnosis of polyhydramnios. The severity of polyhydramnios and the reduction of fetal movements are independently associated with the presence of such diseases. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.