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Colorado Fetal Care Center
Oligohydramnios
We specialize in the big things, the small things and everything in between.
What is oligohydramnios?
Oligohydramnios occurs when a pregnant person has low amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is the watery substance that surrounds and protects your baby during development in the uterus. This condition is uncommon, affecting only about 4% of pregnant people.
Low amniotic fluid doesn’t always affect a developing baby, but it can. Generally, the earlier in the pregnancy that oligohydramnios occurs, the higher the risks to your baby.
Although oligohydramnios can occur at any point in pregnancy, it’s most common in the third trimester. It’s more likely if you are two or more weeks past your due date. This is because amniotic fluid naturally decreases after your due date.
What causes oligohydramnios?
Oligohydramnios often happens for no known reason. Known causes of this condition include:
- Being pregnant with multiple babies
- Carrying a pregnancy past your due date
- Congenital (present at birth) conditions in the baby such as kidney or other urological abnormalities
- Health conditions such as preeclampsia, high blood pressure or diabetes
- Use of medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- Premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) when the amniotic sac breaks before labor
- Problems with the placenta
What are the risks of oligohydramnios?
Oligohydramnios carries higher risks in the first and second trimesters. Low amniotic fluid early in pregnancy can increase the risk of:
- Congenital conditions, especially those affecting the face or limbs
- Facial and limb anomalies
- Miscarriage
- Placental problems, such as abruption
- Poor fetal growth
- Poor fetal lung growth
- Preterm birth
- Stillbirth
Oligohydramnios in the third trimester doesn’t usually lead to long-term problems. In rare cases, late-term oligohydramnios can cause:
- A need for more intensive care
- Higher chances of a congenital condition
- Increased chance of cesarean section (C-section)
- Joint problems, because the low amount of fluid restricts the baby’s movements
- Meconium aspiration, when a baby inhales their first bowel movement
- Need for labor induction
- Slow fetal growth
- Stillbirth or neonatal death
- Umbilical cord squeezing
What are the signs and symptoms of oligohydramnios?
Most people with oligohydramnios show no symptoms. Most often, you find out your amniotic fluid is low during a routine check. Rare signs of oligohydramnios can include:
- Amniotic fluid leaking, which could mean the amniotic sac has broken
- Decreased fetal movement
- Your uterus measuring smaller than expected
What tests diagnose oligohydramnios?
Your healthcare provider will check your amniotic fluid levels using one of two tests:
- Amniotic fluid index (AFI) test: Your provider uses a fetal ultrasound to evaluate amniotic fluid in four specific areas of your uterus. They add the amount of amniotic fluid in all four areas to get a total. Anything under five centimeters is considered oligohydramnios. You usually get an AFI test every time you have a prenatal ultrasound.
- Maximum vertical pocket (MVP) test: Using an ultrasound, your provider measures the amount of amniotic fluid in the deepest part of your uterus. Anything less than two centimeters is considered oligohydramnios.
If your provider finds oligohydramnios, they may perform additional testing, including:
- Blood tests to evaluate potential causes of low amniotic fluid
- Tests to evaluate whether or not your amniotic sac is ruptured (water broken)
Ultrasound and/or MRI to evaluate for other differences in development
How do we treat oligohydramnios?
Oligohydramnios treatment focuses on helping your baby grow and develop safely. Experts in the Colorado Fetal Care Center help you maintain your pregnancy as long as possible. Your treatment may include:
- Amnioinfusion during labor, where we use a catheter to inject saline solution into your uterus to prevent umbilical cord squeezing
- Amnioinfusion during pregnancy, where we attempt to restore fluid around the baby with the goal of improving lung growth
- Drinking more water to help increase amniotic fluid levels
- Frequent monitoring before birth, such as weekly ultrasounds to check amniotic fluid and fetal growth
- Medication to treat underlying conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure
- Inducing labor early if fluid is so low that your baby is struggling to stay healthy
Why choose us for treatment of oligohydramnios ?
At the Colorado Fetal Care Center, we provide the best possible care during high-risk pregnancies and beyond. You receive personalized, advanced treatment before, during and after birth. We offer:
- Coordinated care: We make complicated pregnancies as easy as possible for you, your baby and your whole family. That’s why your first meeting is with your entire care team on one day, in one location. Fetal and pediatric surgeons, neonatologists, geneticists, psychologists and others are there to help explain how low amniotic fluid could affect your baby, answer your questions and offer treatment recommendations.
- Supportive environment: If your baby needs immediate care after birth, you’ll be able to stay with them and actively participate in their care. Our center includes dedicated rooms for infant stabilization, fetal surgery, cesarean sections and more. You can stay close to your baby as long as you’re with us. For babies who need more advanced care, our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) treats more babies than almost any NICU in the country, with outcomes that rank above the national average.
- Seamless transitions: Babies’ needs don’t end at delivery. Sometimes, oligohydramnios occurs because of congenital conditions or causes developmental problems. As your child grows, they have seamless access to any pediatric specialty care they need, such as rehabilitation services or developmental pediatrics, under one roof.
Contact us
Learn more about the Colorado Fetal Care Center or call 720-777-4463.
- March of Dimes offers additional information about oligohydramnios, including how to increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy.
- Our NICU family resources include mental health and social support, temporary housing assistance, education, sibling support and more.
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