Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Amniotic fluid is removed from the mother by an amniocentesis procedure, where a long needle is inserted through the abdomen into the amniotic sac, using ultrasound guidance such that the fetus is not harmed. Amniocentesis is a low risk procedure, with risk of pregnancy loss between 1 in 1,500 – 1 in 700 procedures.
Amniotic fluid index (AFI) is a quantitative estimate of amniotic fluid [1] and an indicator of fetal well-being. It is a separate measurement from the biophysical profile. [1] AFI is the score (expressed in centimetres) given to the amount of amniotic fluid seen on ultrasonography of a pregnant uterus.
The presence of these biophysical variables implies absence of significant central nervous system hypoxemia/acidemia at the time of testing. By comparison, a compromised fetus typically exhibits loss of accelerations of the fetal heart rate (FHR), decreased body movement and breathing, hypotonia, and, less acutely, decreased amniotic fluid volume.
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
Maternal Blood Volume. During pregnancy the plasma volume increases by 40-50% and the red blood cell volume increases only by 20–30%. [22] These changes occur mostly in the second trimester and prior to 32 weeks gestation. [24] Due to dilution, the net result is a decrease in hematocrit or hemoglobin, which are measures of red blood cell ...
The volume of amniotic fluid typically increases until 36 weeks and starts decreasing after 40 weeks in post-term gestations. [4] For this reason, discrepancies between fundal height measurements and gestational age can be a clinical indication of amniotic fluid abnormality and should be evaluated by ultrasound.
Amniotic fluid is mildly basic (pH 7.1–7.3) compared to normal vaginal secretions which are acidic (pH 4.5–6). [10] Basic fluid, like amniotic fluid, will turn the nitrazine paper from orange to dark blue. [9] Fern test: A sterile cotton swab is used to collect fluid from the vagina and place it on a microscope slide.
Usually the sac ruptures at the beginning of or during labour. It may cause a gush of fluid or leak in an intermittent or constant flow of small amounts from a woman's vagina. The fluid is clear or pale yellow. If the amniotic sac has not yet broken during labour the health care provider may break it in a technique called an amniotomy.