The significance of recurrent polyhydramnios

A study of 30 women who had polyhydramnios in more than 1 pregnancy revealed that 8 of the 36 resultant pregnancies (22.2%) were associated with diabetes mellitus, 14 (37.8%) with fetal macrosomia, and the perinatal mortality was 16.2% (6 of 37). The incidence of major fetal malformations or abnormalities was 18.9% (7 of 37); 4 of the 6 deaths resulted from malformations (anencephalus (2), hydrocephalus (1), nonimmune hydrops (1)), and the other 2 deaths were from hyaline membrane disease associated with prematurity. Recurrent polyhydramnios occurred in 1 in 1,720 pregnancies. The onset was acute in 3, subacute in 2 and chronic in 31, the perinatal deaths in these categories being 2, 1 and 3 respectively. The risk of recurrent polyhydramnios is the risk of fetal malformation and premature delivery. The latter may be preventable by prompt therapy with indomethacin, and serial amniocentesis if this therapy fails.