Hey everyone,

My wife & I are having a baby and she is now 24 weeks and 4 days along approx.

Today she had an ultrasound done and the doctor told her she was at high risk due to 2 things.

1) High Amniotic Fluid of: 187 mm @ 24 weeks.
2) Single Umbilical Artery

We're in China right now and the doctors didn't tell us anything other then these 2 things. We don't know what they are, the risks, or what the normal levels of Amniotic Fluid is for 24 weeks.

China has many websites blocked so we cant do reliable research on the internet.

We are wondering what are these 2 things? What are the causes? What are the risks? And whats the chances with both these things that the baby will be healthy or have any issues?

My wife is very worried and hasn't slept in over 24 hours, she's been crying non-stop since she was told. This is devistating her.

Any assistance in regards to this matter would be much appreciated.

Thanks very much for your time.

I had the opposite (low fluid), but the doctor did tell me high fluid can be caused by diabetes (and I think maybe a couple of other things). The single UA I don't think is a huge concern, though I don't know too much about it. There are normally 3 though, so it could mean less blood getting to baby and possibly distress later. If the baby was in distress the fluid levels would likely become low though.

I'll copy this from another site.


What causes levels of amniotic fluid to be elevated?

Congenital defects – The higher the fluid level, the increased chance of a congenital defect. These birth defects hinder swallowing, which can prohibit ingestion of the amniotic fluid, resulting in build up of fluid. Other birth defects could also include intestinal tract blockage or neurological abnormalities.

Rh Factor – As screening for the Rh factor has increased, this is no longer a common cause of elevated fluid levels.

Maternal Diabetes – Experts have found some correlation between diabetes and too much amniotic fluid.

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome – This is a complication that can affect identical twin pregnancies. This syndrome is when one baby gets too much blood flow and the other too little due to connections between blood vessels in their shared placenta.

Unknown Reasons – According to the Center for Maternal Fetal Medicine, about 65% of cases of polyhydramnios are due to unknown causes.

What are the risks of having too much amniotic fluid?

Most cases of polyhydramnios are mild and result in few, if any, complications. Those with higher levels of fluid could experience one or more of the following risks:

Premature rupture of the membranes (PROM)
Placental abruption
Preterm labor and delivery (approximately 26%)
Growth restriction (IUGR) resulting in skeletal malformations
Stillbirth occurs in about 4 in 1000 pregnancies that suffer from polyhydramnios vs. about 2 in1000 pregnancies with normal fluid levels.
Cesarean delivery
Postpartum hemorrhage

What are the treatments for elevated amniotic fluid levels?

Many cases of polyhydramnios are easily treated and do not result in complications if the pregnancy is monitored closely. Monitoring would include frequent sonograms measuring growth, biophysical profile and fetal assessment. Other treatments could include:

Medication that can reduce fluid production and are as much as 90% effective. This treatment is not used after 32 weeks gestation because of possible complications.
Amnioreduction is a procedure that can be used to drain excess fluids. This is done through amniocentesis, which may carry certain risks. There is, however, the chance that fluid could build back up even after draining.
Delivery of the baby

Here's for the other question.

SUA has Been Found; Will My Baby be Born Healthy?


Anywhere from half to two-thirds of babies born with single artery umbilical cord are born healthy and with no chromosomal or congenital abnormalities. Of the remaining babies with SUA, some studies suggest that about 25 percent have birth defects, including chromosomal and/or other abnormalities. These can include trisomy 13 or trisomy 18. However, the most common pregnancy complications that occur in infants with SUA are heart defects, gastrointestinal tract abnormalities and problems with the central nervous system. The respiratory system, urinary tract, and musculoskeletal system may also be affected. One in five babies affected by SUA will be born with multiple malformations.

Aside from these problems, between 15% and 20% of infants with SUA may suffer from intrauterine growth ******ation. Single umbilical artery also has an increased miscarriage rate of 22% associated with it, likely due to the increased abnormalities. Furthermore, there is an association between SUA and low birthweight (<2500g) and early delivery (7 weeks).


Will I Need Extra Screening if My Baby has SUA?


It is likely that you will receive a more thorough ultrasound scan in order to detect any abnormalities. Since ultrasound scans are very good at picking up abnormalities, if you have a normal ultrasound, then it is likely that your baby will be born without any congenital or chromosomal abnormalities. A fetal echocardiogram may also be performed to check the health of your child.

In the presence of an otherwise reassuring prenatal ultrasound, the only other change to antenatal care one might make is a growth scan to make sure the baby is growing at a ‘normal’ rate toward the last month of pregnancy.

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate it very much.

I have to admit though; 75% of those words I havent got a clue what they mean in English. And to tell my wife I have to translate into Chinese which makes words like that impossible as I've never used them before! And chances are shes never heard of the translated word either.

We have an update from the doctors that are overseeing her case; shes been put on high risk alert and was told there only a 23% chance the baby will survive healthy if she doesn't have a preceedure done.

She has to get blood taken from the baby to check exactly what the problem is to get it fixed if it can be. "culture chromosomal technique" or something.

From what I do understand of your replies is that the SUA has a 33-50% chance of causing any issues at all, and the high level of fluid isn't that much of a concern?

Or am I missing something?

Thanks very much! Again, very greatly appreciated!

update:

So my wife had some blood taken from the baby; she was told only 15 minutes but it ended up taking 3 hours and over 5 doctors.

the baby wouldn't stop moving when the needle went inside to draw blood. The doctors had to go in 4 different times in different areas of the stomache before finally getting blood taken. The only thing they said was that they've never had so much trouble before and seen a baby move that much.

Has anyone else had experience with this? Is it normal for a baby to move that much?

Thanks,

The high fluid can indicate problems, so it would be a concern. It could be an issue with the baby or something like gestational diabetes. The SUA is less of a concern.

I know that normal fluid levels are 5 cm to 25 cm, so 18 cm seems normal, but maybe at 24 weeks it is high, sorry I can't help more! I'm 34 weeks and my AFI is 32.7 cm and I'm just being closely monitored. There is no cause for me x

i had too much fluid and it caused my uterus to think i was full term and i was having contractions on and of for 5 weeks, but she was still overdue, my daughter does have health problems but generally my consultant said that there is no reason for it,