Polyhydramnios

Excerpt

Polyhydramnios is a pathological condition characterized by an excess of amniotic fluid volume. Under normal circumstances, an equilibrium is maintained between amniotic fluid production and absorption. Polyhydramnios occurs when this equilibrium is disrupted, often due to increased fetal urine production, impaired swallowing, or gastrointestinal obstruction. The diagnosis is made by ultrasound when the single deepest vertical pocket of fluid is at least 8 cm or when the amniotic fluid index is at least 24 cm. Polyhydramnios can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on the amniotic fluid index or deepest vertical pocket.