Polyhydramnios :
Polyhydramnios is a medical condition in which there is an excessive amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus during the pregnancy.It occurs due to various factors like fetal anomalies like neural tube defects, gastrointestinal abnormalities, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) in case of twin pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, IUGR, placental abnormalities (Placenta previa, placental abruption), maternal diabetes, hypertension, fetal chromosomal abnormalities (trisomy 21-Downs syndrome, trisomy 18-Edwards syndrome ) , congenital infections like cytomegalovirus , toxoplasmosis , renal disease etc. Signs and symptoms include severe abdominal distension, rapid uterine growth, fetal distress, maternal discomfort or pain, difficulty moving or changing positions, shortness of breath etc. Complications of polyhydramnios includes preterm birth, fetal distress or death, placental abruption, uterine rupture, maternal respiratory distress, amniotic fluid embolism etc.
Diagnosis is by utrasound (measuring amniotic fluid index), fetal Doppler, non-stress test (NST), biophysical profile (BPP), amniocentesis (rarely). Management includes close monitoring, serial ultrasounds, fetal surveillance, medication or intervention for amnioreduction (removing excess fluid) and hospitalization if severe and delivery of the baby if necessary and baby reaches the term for lung maturity.