Maximal Amniotic Fluid Index As A Prognostic Factor in Pregnancies Complicated by Polyhydramnios
Maximal Amniotic Fluid Index As A Prognostic Factor in Pregnancies Complicated by Polyhydramnios
Maximal Amniotic Fluid Index As A Prognostic Factor in Pregnancies Complicated by Polyhydramnios
ABSTRACT
Objectives Polyhydramnios is present in approximately
2% of pregnancies and has been associated with a variety
of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate
the association between the maximal amniotic fluid index
(AFI) and the frequency of specific adverse outcomes.
Methods This was a retrospective chart review of 524 singleton pregnancies diagnosed with polyhydramnios and
delivered in a single tertiary referral center between 2003
and 2008. Polyhydramnios was defined as either AFI
25 cm or a maximum vertical pocket (MVP) 8 cm
even in the presence of AFI < 25 cm. The cohort was
stratified into four groups based on the maximal AFI
noted during the pregnancy: < 25 cm but with MVP
8 cm; 2529.9 cm; 3034.9 cm; and 35 cm. Data
were collected to determine the frequency of the following adverse pregnancy outcomes: prenatally diagnosed
congenital anomalies, fetal aneuploidy, preterm delivery,
Cesarean delivery, low birth weight, 5-min Apgar score
< 7 and perinatal mortality.
Results Higher AFI was associated with a statistically
significant increase in the frequency of adverse pregnancy
outcomes. The most severe form of polyhydramnios,
as based on the maximal AFI ( 35 cm; n = 67), was
associated with the highest rates of prenatally diagnosed
congenital anomalies (79%), preterm delivery (46%),
small-for-gestational-age neonate (16%), aneuploidy
(13%) and perinatal mortality (27%). No significant
association between degree of polyhydramnios and
adverse outcome was demonstrated in cases of idiopathic
polyhydramnios (n = 253).
Conclusions There is an association between the frequencies of a variety of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the
severity of polyhydramnios as reflected by the maximal
AFI. Copyright 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley
& Sons, Ltd.
INTRODUCTION
Polyhydramnios, defined as excessive accumulation of
amniotic fluid, affects 12% of pregnancies, but the
incidence has been reported to range from as low as 0.2%
to as high as 3.9%1 3 . Although historically the detection
of polyhydramnios was made clinically by abdominal
palpation or at the time of delivery4 , the diagnosis is now
commonly made sonographically. Ultrasound evaluation
of the amount of amniotic fluid can be either a subjective
assessment or a semiquantitative estimation using the
maximal vertical pocket (MVP), amniotic fluid index
(AFI)5,6 , two-diameter pocket7 or three-dimensional
measurements8 . While semiquantitative measurements
have only moderate accuracy in assessing the actual
volume of amniotic fluid, especially at the extremes of
volumes, these remain the preferred approach to amniotic
fluid volume estimation5,9 11 . Dilutional techniques are
the most accurate predictor of amniotic fluid volume,
but their invasive nature limits their use. When defining
the upper limit of normal amniotic fluid indices, a
constant value of AFI 25 cm can be used across all
gestational ages, or gestational-age specific thresholds can
be utilized1,12 . Neither method has been shown to be
superior to the other13 .
Both fetal and maternal conditions can lead to an
accumulation of excess amniotic fluid. Fetal anomalies
associated with polyhydramnios in singleton pregnancies include central nervous system anomalies affecting
the fetuss ability to swallow or gastrointestinal anomalies causing obstruction. Additionally, aneuploidy, other
structural anomalies and hydrops can result in polyhydramnios. The most common maternal reason for
polyhydramnios is poorly controlled diabetes mellitus,
with additional etiologies including infections and exposure to medication, for example lithium, which may cause
fetal diabetes insipidus. Approximately 50% of cases are
idiopathic with no known etiology1 .
Correspondence to: Dr S. Pri-Paz, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University
Medical Center, 622 West 168th PH16-66, New York, New York, 10032, USA (e-mail: smp9009@med.cornell.edu)
Accepted: 18 August 2011
ORIGINAL PAPER
METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort study of patients cared
for in our institution between 2003 and 2008 that was
approved by the institutional review board. We searched
the electronic reports of all obstetrical ultrasound examinations performed during the study period to identify
all cases with a subjective diagnosis of polyhydramnios,
an MVP of 8 cm or an AFI of 25 cm. Patients were
included in the cohort if they had had at least one scan
in our ultrasound unit, a singleton pregnancy and either
an AFI 25 cm or an MVP 8 cm even with an AFI
< 25 cm. Patients were excluded from the analysis if outcome data were unavailable.
Electronic medical records were reviewed to determine
the MVP and AFI measured during pregnancy. In addition, the following data were collected for each patient:
maternal age, presence or absence of maternal diabetes
(pre-existing or gestational), pregnancy outcome, gestational age at delivery, presence of prenatally detected fetal
anomalies, estimated fetal weight < 10th percentile for a
given gestational age, fetal karyotype, mode of delivery
and in cases of live birth birth weight, Apgar scores
and neonatal outcome. Small for gestational age (SGA)
was defined as birth weight below the 10th percentile for
the gestational age and sex. Macrosomia was defined as
birth weight 4500 g. Perinatal mortality was determined
by assessing the rate of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) and
infant deaths that occurred during the newborns initial
hospitalization, including those after the initial 28-day
neonatal period.
The cohort was stratified into four groups based on
the maximal AFI: < 25 cm but with an MVP of 8 cm;
2529.9 cm; 3034.9 cm; and 35 cm. Because of the
varying definitions of polyhydramnios, the first group was
included as the baseline group within the stratification.
Pregnancy outcomes were compared between groups
to determine the association between the degree of
polyhydramnios, as reflected by the maximal AFI, and the
frequency of adverse outcomes. Additional analysis was
performed after stratifying the cohort into two groups:
one including those cases with mild polyhydramnios
(defined as AFI < 25 cm but with an MVP 8 cm or
AFI of 2529.9 cm) and the other including those cases
with moderate-to-severe polyhydramnios (defined as AFI
30 cm).
Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA, the
chi-square test and Students t-test using SPSS version 17
(SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and P < 0.05 was considered
statistically significant.
649
RESULTS
We identified 702 pregnancies complicated by polyhydramnios, of which 178 were excluded owing to a lack
of objective evidence meeting the study criteria for the
definition of polyhydramnios or because of multiple gestation or a lack of sufficient outcome data. Thus, over the
6-year study period, a cohort of 524 cases was identified.
During this period there were 22 778 singleton deliveries
at our institution, for an overall incidence of polyhydramnios of 2.3%. The mean maternal age at the time
of delivery was 31.6 6.65 (range, 1454) years, with
no significant difference between the four groups. Diabetes, gestational or pre-existing, was present in 26.1%
of women with maximal AFI < 25 cm, 20.6% with AFI
2529.9 cm, 20.6% with AFI 3034.9 cm and 4.5% with
AFI 35 cm (P = 0.007).
Almost 70% (360/524) of our cohort had mild
polyhydramnios. Table 1 shows the association of the
different degrees of AFI and the frequency of adverse
pregnancy outcome. Data on birth weight were available
for 444/524 (84.7%) neonates. A non-statistically
significant inverse correlation was noted between maximal
AFI and mean birth weight, while a statistically
significant positive correlation was noted between
increased AFI and rates of SGA (P = 0.030). There was no
statistically significant correlation with the incidence of
macrosomia.
Higher AFI was found to be associated with an
increased frequency of prenatally detected congenital
anomalies (Table 1). The most common structural anomalies detected sonographically were cardiac, followed by
anomalies of the thorax and lungs, gastrointestinal system, musculoskeletal system, central nervous system and
genitourinary system (Table 2).
Karyotypes, the majority of which were determined
prenatally, were available for 183 patients (34.9%). There
was a correlation between the degree of abnormal AFI and
the frequency of fetal aneuploidy, with abnormal fetal
karyotype noted in 11/89 (12.4%) cases of moderate-tosevere polyhydramnios six cases of trisomy 18 and five
cases of trisomy 21. It is of note that all the pregnancies
complicated by fetal trisomy had other anomalies detected
on obstetric sonography in addition to polyhydramnios
(Table 3).
Pregnancies complicated by polyhydramnios were
associated with a high rate of Cesarean delivery, regardless
of the maximal AFI. There were a total of three exutero intrapartum therapy procedures, and one Cesarean
hysterectomy performed in a case of placenta percreta
in a patient with four prior Cesarean deliveries, placenta
previa and an AFI of 25.4 cm.
A statistically significant association was noted between
the severity of polyhydramnios and the frequency of perinatal mortality, including both IUFD (n = 19) and infant
deaths that occurred before hospital discharge (n = 24).
While there were no cases of mortality when AFI was
< 25 cm, there was an almost 27% risk of perinatal mortality when the AFI was 35 cm. It is important to note,
Pri-Paz et al.
650
Table 1 Adverse outcomes at different degrees of maximal amniotic fluid index in 524 singleton pregnancies with polyhydramnios
Maximal amniotic fluid index:
Outcome
Normal anatomy scan
Aneuploidy
Mean gestational age at delivery (weeks)
Preterm delivery < 37 weeks
Early preterm delivery (< 34 weeks)
Cesarean delivery
Mean birth weight (g)
Small-for-gestational age
Macrosomia (> 4500 g)
5-min Apgar score < 7
Intrauterine fetal death
Perinatal mortality
< 25 cm
(n = 69)
2529.9 cm
(n = 291)
3034.9 cm
(n = 97)
35 cm
(n = 67)
P*
58 (84.1)
0/15 (0.0)
39
5 (7.2)
0 (0.0)
44 (63.8)
3577
2/57 (3.5)
4/57 (7.0)
2/57 (3.5)
0 (0.0)
0 (0.0)
217 (74.6)
3/79 (3.8)
38 + 3
46 (15.8)
17 (5.8)
153 (52.6)
3449
14/250 (5.6)
15/250 (6.0)
9/236 (3.8)
7 (2.4)
16 (5.5)
51 (52.6)
5/43 (11.6)
37 + 5
19 (19.6)
7 (7.2)
54 (55.7)
3385
7/81 (8.6)
3/81 (3.7)
7/84 (8.3)
3 (3.1)
9 (9.3)
14 (20.9)
6/46 (13)
36 + 1
31 (46.3)
13 (19.4)
42 (62.7)
2910
9/56 (16.1)
2/56 (3.6)
12/52 (23.1)
9 (13.4)
18 (26.9)
< 0.005
0.124
0.027
< 0.005
< 0.005
0.431
0.155
0.030
0.732
< 0.005
< 0.005
< 0.005
Data are given as n (%) except where indicated. Denominators vary because outcome data were not available in all cases. *Pearsons
chi-square test or ANOVA. Normal anatomy scan included cases of isolated intracardiac echogenic foci and pyelectasis. Karyotype
determined in 183 cases. Small-for-gestational age defined as birth weight < 10th percentile.
Table 2 Congenital anomalies diagnosed by ultrasound in 524 singleton pregnancies with polyhydramnios, according to maximal amniotic
fluid index
Maximal amniotic fluid index:
Anomaly
< 25 cm
(n = 69)
2529.9 cm
(n = 291)
3034.9 cm
(n = 97)
35 cm
(n = 67)
Total
(n = 524)
Cardiac
Thorax and lungs
Gastrointestinal
Genitourinary
Musculoskeletal
Central nervous system
Single umbilical artery
Hydrops
Estimated fetal weight < 10th percentile
Total anomalies
1 (1.4)
6 (8.7)
0 (0.0)
2 (2.9)
2 (2.9)
1 (1.4)
0 (0.0)
0 (0.0)
0 (0.0)
12
20 (6.9)
19 (6.5)
14 (4.8)
10 (3.4)
16 (5.5)
18 (6.2)
2 (0.7)
7 (2.4)
4 (1.4)
110
17 (17.5)
12 (12.4)
10 (10.3)
8 (8.2)
5 (5.2)
5 (5.2)
4 (4.1)
6 (6.2)
1 (1)
68
18 (26.9)
18 (26.9)
13 (19.4)
3 (4.5)
14 (20.9)
7 (10.4)
5 (7.5)
7 (10.4)
2 (3)
87
56 (10.7)
55 (10.5)
37 (7.1)
23 (4.4)
37 (7.1)
31 (5.9)
11 (2.1)
20 (3.8)
7 (1.3)
277
Data are given as n (%). If a fetus was diagnosed with multiple anomalies, each anomaly was considered separately.
however, that none of the cases with severe polyhydramnios and perinatal mortality was noted to have idiopathic
polyhydramnios. In fact all of these cases of severe
polyhydramnios with fetal or infant death were complicated by additional abnormalities that probably contributed to the outcome (Table 4). After excluding all
cases of maternal diabetes, isoimmunization, hydrops
fetalis and fetal structural anomalies, 253 cases (48.3%) of
idiopathic polyhydramnios were identified in the cohort.
Among all these pregnancies there were three cases of
IUFD for an incidence of 1.2% and one additional case
of neonatal demise due to myopathy, thus resulting in a
perinatal mortality rate of 1.6%.
A similar set of associations was noted when comparing
mild polyhydramnios (n = 360) vs. pregnancies with
moderate-to-severe polyhydramnios (n = 164). The mild
polyhydramnios group had a higher mean gestational
age at delivery (38 + 4 vs. 37 + 1 weeks; P < 0.005) and
a higher mean birth weight (3472 vs. 3193 g; P < 0.005).
Pregnancies with mild polyhydramnios were less likely
651
Associated anomalies
Comments
Trisomy 18
38.5
IUFD
28.4
33.0
31.1
35.0
27.2
Trisomy 18
Trisomy 18
41.2
44.7
Trisomy 18
Trisomy 18
Trisomy 18
Trisomy 18
Trisomy 21
Trisomy 21
Trisomy 21
Trisomy 21
Trisomy 21
Trisomy 21
Trisomy 21
29.8
33.9
39.9
45.7
30.0
33.7
IUFD
Neonatal demise on 13th day
IUFD
IUFD
Thoracocentesis performed
antenatally
Amnioreduction performed
AFI, amniotic fluid index; AV, atrioventricular; CDH, congenital diaphragmatic hernia; CHD, congenital heart disease; CPC, choroid plexus
cyst; DORV, double outlet right ventricle; EFW, estimated fetal weight; IUFD, intrauterine fetal death; VSD, ventricular septal defect.
Table 4 Details of the 19 pregnancies with polyhydramnios that
resulted in intrauterine fetal death (IUFD)
GA at IUFD (weeks)
Findings
AFI 2529.9 cm
28 + 0
28 + 1
28 + 6
29 + 2
34 + 5
35 + 6
36 + 2
Idiopathic
VSD, hydrops
Sacrococcygeal teratoma
CDH
Pre-existing diabetes, previous IUFD
Truncus arteriosus, hydrops
Two-vessel cord, dilated bowel
AFI 3034.9 cm
24 + 6
37 + 2
40 + 2
AFI 35 cm
28 + 4
31 + 0
31 + 4
32 + 2
33 + 1
33 + 1
34 + 0
34 + 0
35 + 1
DISCUSSION
Several findings in our study shed new light on
issues related to polyhydramnios, and may affect the
management of such pregnancies. While this is not a new
observation, our findings again note the high frequency of
mild polyhydramnios among all cases of polyhydramnios
and the relatively low incidence of associated anomalies
Pri-Paz et al.
652
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