This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Management

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

This is dependent on the onset - acute or chronic - and the magnitude of the polyhydramnios.

In acute polyhydramnios the mother is usually admitted to hospital and an ultrasound, is taken in order to exclude foetal abnormality. If the fetus appears normal then steps are taken to try and prevent premature labour e.g. the use of prostaglandin antagonists. Diuretics, water and salt restriction seem to be unhelpful and potentially dangerous.

In chronic polyhydramnios an ultrasound investigation and a glucose tolerance test are undertaken. If the polyhydramnios is not severe then the patient is not admitted to hospital.

There is no satisfactory treatment for symptomatic polyhydramnios, acute or chronic, other than the slow release of amniotic fluid via a transabdominal needle. During delivery if the membranes are artificially ruptured then the procedure must be done in such a manner that the release of liquor is slow and controlled. Abdominal amniocentesis may be employed to draw off amniotic fluid prior to rupture of the membranes.

If an apparently normal baby is born to a mother who had polyhydramnios then the paediatrician must check for conditions such as oesophageal atresia.

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page