The waters were removed at an early date. Is a long anhydrous period dangerous for a child? Pregnancy 20 weeks broke water

The second pregnancy of 20-year-old Englishwoman Laura Hills was under great threat: at 16 weeks of pregnancy, her water broke ... Doctors categorically insisted on abortion. After all, according to medical statistics, Laura's child had only 1 in 100 chance of survival. At the same time, the health of the unborn baby would still be in danger.
But Laura refused to have an abortion, despite all the doctors' persuasions - after all, she felt how her son was moving.

“I was told that, most likely, I will give birth to this child in the next two weeks, that there is only one in a hundred chance that he will be born alive, that he will need to exclude brain damage and lung deformities. And I replied that although it is only one percent, it is there, and I am not going to abandon my child. I will defend him to the last, ”she said.

Over the next weeks, Laura underwent ultrasound and blood tests twice a week. She was ready for the irreparable ... But a miracle happened: at the 21st week, at the next ultrasound, the doctors were convinced that the gap around the child was completely closed. At 24 weeks, the amniotic fluid was already sufficiently filled with fluid.

"The baby, whom his parents named Charlie, was born in March 2011 completely healthy, weighing 3200 g.

« He screamed so weakly that I immediately began to panic, but the midwife calmed me down. She said that I have an absolutely healthy boy!”- says Laura. Charlie's birthday coincided with his mom's birthday.

“When I first saw him, I thought - finally, our boy is with us, and now he is safe,” says Laura's husband, who was present at the birth.

Obstetrician-gynecologist who observed expectant mother, considers this case amazing: despite a very harsh forecast, nature itself, without any help, completely corrected the situation.

Photo from the site dailymail.co.uk

A similar wonderful story happened a few years later, in 2016, with 24-year-old Sheila Bati.

Sheila's water drained gradually over several days, and the woman thought she was experiencing urinary incontinence or discharge. However, doctors reported a disappointing diagnosis - prenatal rupture of the membranes. Sheila's pregnancy at that time was also 16 weeks.

"Sheila had so little amniotic fluid that it was impossible to determine the sex of the baby on an ultrasound. With the help of ultrasound, the fetal heartbeat was heard, but doctors could not see it on the screen.

The woman was put on hold, every three hours the doctors checked her blood pressure readings, and her blood was checked weekly for infections. Sheila was given steroid injections to help her baby's lungs form

faster.

“At the 28th week, when the child was already quite viable, Sheila was discharged home, and after another week and a half she started having contractions.

During premature birth, new complications arose - the cervix did not open, I had to do cesarean section... Little Ryan spent several weeks in the incubator, and only a week later his mother was allowed to take the boy in her arms. He had to transfuse blood several times, and at 4 months, a hernia was removed, but now Ryan is quite healthy!

Photo from medikforum.ru

In this article:

The anhydrous period is one of the stages of childbirth. In the normal course of pregnancy, it occurs at the end of the first period. However, there are situations when the departure amniotic fluid starts much earlier than it should. A long dry period during childbirth can pose a threat to the health and life of both the baby and the mother.

The term "anhydrous period" means the time interval from the beginning (immediately after the rupture of the membranes) to the birth of the baby. The period is considered anhydrous, even if the amniotic fluid leaves in small portions through the microcracks of the fetal bladder.

When the membranes rupture

The discharge of amniotic fluid can be normal, early and premature:

Normally, rupture of the fetal bladder occurs during labor and the dilatation of the cervix by about 6 cm.
If the rupture occurred during childbirth, but with insufficient dilatation of the cervix, this is an early outpouring of water. This situation does not pose a great danger in a full-term pregnancy. However, the process of childbirth can be delayed, since the pressure of the fetal bladder during contractions helps the cervix to open at the first stage. And when the bubble burst in advance, labor activity may subside.
Premature discharge is considered the outpouring of water before the onset of labor. This pathological condition can happen at any stage of pregnancy. It is the most dangerous for the child, in most cases it is the beginning. The question of how much a child can be without water determines further medical tactics.

The duration of the anhydrous period is normal

How long can an anhydrous period during childbirth last? Everything here is individual. However, the norm is considered to be the duration of the anhydrous period in childbirth up to 6 hours.

Women who have already had an outpouring of amniotic fluid are naturally interested in how much a child can be without amniotic fluid. Pathology is considered to be the duration of the anhydrous period of more than 72 hours. It can reach from several days to several weeks, and without medical coverage during such a period, complications will definitely arise in the mother and the fetus.

As soon as the pregnant woman has lost water or there is a suspicion of their leakage, an urgent need to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist. After all, how much a child can be in the womb without water in a particular situation is unknown before a specialist is examined.

Why is a long anhydrous period dangerous?

If premature drainage of water occurs after 34 weeks normal pregnancy, this is about early birth with a high probability of a successful birth of a viable premature baby. The most fatal consequences for the fetus will be with the premature rupture of amniotic fluid in early pregnancy.

Possible complications of a prolonged anhydrous period:

Spontaneous abortion or premature birth. Their danger to the baby directly depends on the duration of pregnancy.
Premature placental abruption.
Prolonged dry labor. however, it is very painful and may be ineffective. The time between them lengthens, they become weak, thus, labor activity can completely subside.
Prolapsed umbilical cord with water.
Birth trauma to a child.
Infection of the membranes.
Intrauterine fetal death from hypoxia or infection.
The development of endometritis in a woman.
Development of sepsis, up to death in the mother.

Infection with a long anhydrous period does not mean the uncleanliness of the pregnant woman. The fact is that all women have their own unique vaginal microflora, which includes lactic acid bacteria and many opportunistic microorganisms.

The membranes form a sterile environment for the amniotic fluid. If their integrity is violated, bacteria quickly rise up from the vagina, penetrate through the holes into the bladder and begin to develop in the amniotic fluid, infecting the fetus. Of course, the presence of vulvovaginitis and vaginosis in a pregnant woman significantly complicates the situation, greatly increases the risk of bacterial inflammation and accelerates its development.

How long can a fetus live in an anhydrous period?

How long can a baby be without water in the womb? It has already been said above that the duration of the anhydrous period of up to 6 hours does not threaten the child.

How many hours a child can be without water depends on the viability of the fetus and on many other factors:

Gestational age.
Amniotic fluid volume.
Presence of intrauterine infection.
Whether we are talking about fetal hypoxia.

So, how long a child can be without amniotic fluid depends largely on the factors listed above. A healthy mother has later dates pregnancy (over 28 weeks), in the absence of congenital abnormalities of the baby, correct presentation, absence of infection, competent medical management, pregnancy can be maintained until the required period for several days or even weeks.

Inspection in the waterless period

At the very beginning of the anhydrous period, or if you suspect a drainage of water, you must consult a gynecologist who will prescribe an examination. Because without carrying out diagnostic measures, no one knows how much a child can be in the womb without water.

Inpatient examination includes:

Ultrasound of the fetus with dopplerometry, which will determine the volume of amniotic fluid, the integrity of the membranes and the condition of the child.
Analysis for the determination of amniotic fluid in the vaginal secretion.
CTG (cardiotocography) of the fetus to clarify the condition of the child and whether he has hypoxia.
Tests to detect latent fetal infection.
Gynecological examination to determine if the cervix is dilated and whether the umbilical cord or parts of the fetus have prolapsed.
Other general clinical studies - blood and urine tests, assessment of the mother's condition.

Home Examination Tests

When a woman is feeling well but suspects that amniotic fluid is leaking, you can buy tests from the pharmacy to determine the amniotic fluid in the vaginal discharge:

Frautest Amnio gaskets ... The most convenient option for home use, represented by a conventional gasket. This method allows you to observe the discharge for 12 hours. The test is located in the gasket itself, so the assessment of the result is carried out when considering the presence of stains on it. If the result is negative, it is either colorless or yellowish. A positive result for the presence of amniotic fluid is the appearance of blue or green spots of any size and intensity on the pad.
AmniSure Test Kit ... This technique will give a more accurate result. The kit includes a vaginal swab, reagent and test strip. The tampon must be inserted for a while, then immersed in the reagent for 1 minute. You need to lower the test strip into the liquid and wait for the result for 10 minutes. A positive result is the presence of two stripes.

Treatment for anhydrous period

When the amniotic fluid is drained, regardless of the gestational age, the woman is hospitalized. It depends on medical tactics how long a child can be without water. It is very important that the patient adheres to the medical and protective regime and aseptic conditions of stay. A pregnant woman is prescribed antibiotics for prophylactic purposes, which cannot harm the baby. Also, drugs that suppress labor activity and other necessary drugs are used.

If the pregnancy is over 34 weeks, the pregnancy is not prolonged. The woman is hospitalized to ensure the normal course of labor. If necessary (if the anhydrous period lasts more than 6 hours, and there are no contractions, or they are weak and ineffective), labor is stimulated with medication. According to the indications, a mechanical expansion of the cervix is performed.

Termination of pregnancy or induction of preterm labor is carried out if there is an unfavorable prognosis for the child or mother:

massive bacterial infection of the uterus, placenta, membranes and the fetus itself;
the development of sepsis in the mother;
multiple deformities of the child and pathologies of his development;
detachment of a significant part of the placenta;
intrauterine fetal death.

How long can a child be without amniotic fluid is a very important question for a doctor. An anhydrous period is a normal stage of childbirth, but its prolonged course can be dangerous. A woman does not know how long a child can be without water, so delay is absolutely unacceptable in this case. It is necessary to observe an obstetrician-gynecologist to choose the correct tactics for the management of pregnancy and childbirth.

Useful video about the waterless period

Moirody.ru

I read everything, frost on the skin! Through this my husband and I went through. The first pregnancy - the child froze at 12 weeks, without symptoms: no bleeding, no pain. They said the heart does not beat and that's all. After that, my husband and I went to the doctors, pulled up everything that maybe not (besides, I have severe diabetes mellitus, but you can't cure it!). After 2 years, we decided to try again, got pregnant right away. I registered with the antenatal clinic, passed the tests, there was a problem with the hormone (I forgot the name), all pregnancy drank "Dufaston". Everything was more or less up to 11 weeks. I got out of the toilet, red water poured, I realized that the water had left. They called an ambulance, took them to the hospital. There they injected a load, increased the number of Dufaston and I bled until 15 weeks .wound around the hospitals, drank hemostatic. On week 17 they did an ultrasound scan, they said there was no water at all, but there were no leaks. And then it began: -It is necessary to have an abortion !!! ; - But who allowed you to give birth? !!! - Your child will die anyway !!! They do ultrasound, but they beat harder! 3 weeks they pressed on me with an abortion, they did an ultrasound scan every 3 days, every time they said - HE was probably already dead ; - Why are you torturing a child, they don't live without water !!! They do ultrasound, AND THE HEART IS BEATING !!! They did all sorts of express tests for water with an incomprehensible result. In general, they tortured as they wanted, I did not give up, I said while my heart was beating I will not do anything! I wrote a waiver of the hospital, there was still a lot of things at home (to describe for a long time), in general I fought up to 29 weeks (although I did not know the exact time, each ultrasound showed a different one), the water began to flow from 20 weeks. , sat on the forums and read how bad everything would be, but did not give up! female cons. I still got tired, forced to pass tests, then the hospital, intensive care, cesarean, a boy was born, 33 cm 940 g. Weak, ugly, not breathing himself, but screaming, I heard a cry, or rather a squeak))) It was scary to watch, the first time even was afraid to go to the nursery. He's in intensive care, I'm in intensive care, MY POOR HUSBAND! A lot of diagnoses, a lot of predictions and everything is understandably terrible: he won't survive; he himself will not eat; disabled for life; But a month passed and he began to breathe on his own (a hell of a month !!!), the weight was 1,300, they put me with him in the hospital, where again, according to the doctors, he was one of the most difficult. when they told me about another "NOT", I said that I had already heard a bunch of that did not come true, to which they told me, -Well, what do you want, medicine is not an exact science !! I understood this is my motto, and for all diagnoses about I repeated it myself. For another 2 months, we refused food, we go home !!! (The story is very abbreviated) My son is 10 months old, weight 7,800, we are in the clinic almost every day, being a mother of a premature baby is hard work, but it's worth it. Of course, it does not develop like full-term children, but I hope by the age of 2-3 years we will catch up with our peers, I believe in this. My story is long, but I wanted to have at least one review with a positive outcome. Not everyone gets it, like in the lottery , but I got a jackpot. Good luck to those who did not succeed, good luck to those who still hope! Survive 500 grams, born for 26 weeks, I have seen such. Only mom and dad can decide whether to give their child a chance or not, the choice is very difficult and you have to be ready for the consequences. I took a chance and do not regret it !!!

If a woman becomes pregnant, then she must definitely learn about what amniotic fluid is and how it looks, when it leaves and in what volume. If you do not know this, then in some cases (for example, the contractions are very weak, but at the same time the waters gradually receded), you may not even notice the beginning of the birth process. This can end very sadly for both the mother and her child.

What is amniotic fluid?

Amniotic fluid is a special fluid that is located in a woman's uterus and surrounds the baby throughout pregnancy. They protect the baby from getting an infection that can penetrate the mother's genital tract, as well as from numerous mechanical influences from outside. Water helps the baby to feel as comfortable as possible in the uterus and not to experience possible shocks and other influences. Also, amniotic fluid plays another, no less important role... They restrain the walls of the uterus and thus create space in the woman's abdomen for the growth and development of the child. If there was no water, then the walls of the uterus would press on the child and he would not have any opportunity to fully develop.

The process of discharge of amniotic fluid

As a rule, the discharge of water before childbirth occurs at the end of pregnancy .. If during pregnancy there are no pathologies and complications, then the water leaves immediately before childbirth, and this period (in most cases) is from 38 weeks of pregnancy. When your water has broken, but the contractions have not yet begun, do not panic. Get ready to go to the hospital, and the contractions either begin on the road or will be called artificially already in the hospital.

If the amniotic fluid departed before the 37th week of pregnancy?

Doctors do not consider it normal for amniotic fluid to drain earlier than 37 weeks of gestation. This situation requires immediate medical attention. It is worth noting that if the waters left earlier than 37 weeks of pregnancy, then there are two options for the development of events. In the first case, the child is immediately born and placed in a pressure chamber for babies who were born prematurely. The second option is when a woman goes to the hospital and for another two weeks she will not even be able to move normally, and all this time they give special antibiotics to avoid infection of the crumbs with an infection. The shorter the gestation period, the more water departed, the more difficult it will be to save the child. Of course, there are many cases in practice when a child was born six months old and completely healthy. Although the risk of developing pathologies in such premature babies is too high.

If the amniotic fluid has departed before 20 weeks of pregnancy?

If the water begins to drain at the time of 20 weeks of pregnancy or a little later, then most likely it will not be possible to save the child and there will be a miscarriage. In this case, you need to immediately call ambulance, because negative consequences can also affect the condition of a woman.

How much amniotic fluid leaves before childbirth?

If the pregnancy is proceeding normally, then on average there will be about 1.5-2 liters of fluid in the woman's body. Although there may be some deviations from the norm and it depends directly on the individual characteristics of the woman's body.

It is worth noting that water can also drain in different ways. The ideal option for normal pregnancy without pathologies is the simultaneous discharge of the entire amount of fluid, so it is very difficult not to notice this.

If the pregnancy was with complications or there are some peculiarities of the woman's body, then the water can leave in parts over several days. In this case, it will be somewhat more difficult to notice them and to understand that they will depart only by the nature of the discharge.