Pregnancy outcomes in severe polyhydramnios: no increase in risk in patients needing amnioreduction for maternal pain or respiratory distress

Abstract

Introduction: Polyhydramnios is a common complication of fetal malformations and has been described to have high risk of pregnancy complications such as prematurity and placental abruption. In a subgroup of women severe polyhydramnios may lead to maternal dyspnea or untreatable pain, and amnioreduction is the procedure indicated to relieve those symptoms. There is a lack of information concerning the increase in the risk for the pregnancy when the procedure is indicated. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the risk of complications in pregnancies with severe polyhydramnios that needed amnioreduction in relation to the basal risk for the pregnancy of having polyhydramnios without the need for the procedure.

Materials and methods: Patients with singleton pregnancies and severe polyhydramnios followed in our fetal medicine center were evaluated retrospectively. Pregnancy complications (prematurity rate, fetal death, premature rupture of membranes, placental abruption and chorioamnionitis) were studied in the group of patients needing the procedure and their risk was compared to the risk of having a pregnancy with severe polyhydramnios but with no need for the procedure.

Results: One hundred and thirty-five patients were evaluated. Forty-four patients (32.6%) needed amnioreduction. There was no increase in the risk of having complications when the procedure was needed OR = 1.4 (CI 0.46–1.26).

Conclusion: Amnioreduction performed to relieve maternal symptoms did not statistically increase the risk of pregnancy complications with severe polyhydramnios in single pregnancies.

Keywords:

• Amniodrainage
• amnioreduction
• fetal malformation
• polyhydramnios
• pregnancy complication
• pregnancy outcome
• premature labor

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.