During pregnancy, the pregnant woman's body undergoes a series of changes, with the most prominent being her belly, as the fetus is still in the mother's womb. Along with the baby is amniotic fluid, which plays a protective and nutritional role during pregnancy. During the prenatal examination, the amniotic fluid will also be examined. If the amniotic fluid index is abnormal, it can also have serious consequences. Let's take a look with the editor below. What is the normal amniotic fluid index at 23 weeks of pregnancy?
What is the normal amniotic fluid index at 23 weeks of pregnancy
1. Amniotic fluid index: It divides the uterus into four quadrants: upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right. The sum of the maximum vertical depths of the amniotic fluid dark zone in the four quadrants is the AFL. If the AFL is greater than 24cm, it is diagnosed as polyhydramnios. If the AFL is between 18-24cm, it is suspected to be polyhydramnios or polyhydramnios.
2. The amount of amniotic fluid during normal pregnancy increases with gestational age and gradually decreases from the last 2-4 weeks. At full term, the amount of amniotic fluid is about 1000ml (800-1200ml). If the amount of amniotic fluid exceeds 2000ml at any stage of pregnancy, it is called polyhydramnios. The highest can reach 20000ml. Most pregnant women have a slow increase in amniotic fluid, which forms over a longer period of time and is called chronic polyhydramnios; A small number of pregnant women experience a rapid increase in amniotic fluid within a few days, known as acute polyhydramnios.
3. Oligohydramnios is mainly manifested as obvious fetal movement in pregnant women, who feel abdominal pain during fetal movement. The uterus is sensitive and often undergoes contractions due to mild stimulation during examination. Fetal heart rate increased, and examination revealed that abdominal circumference and uterine height were smaller than those of pregnant women at the same time. Oligohydramnios often leads to prolonged labor during delivery, and the fetus is prone to intrauterine asphyxia. If the membrane breaks, a small amount of viscous amniotic fluid can be seen. Oligohydramnios is sometimes difficult to diagnose and can be easily overlooked. B-ultrasound examination shows a significant decrease in amniotic fluid. Some people also suggest that the possibility of oligohydramnios should be considered when there is an expired pregnancy, concurrent pregnancy induced hypertension syndrome, or fetal changes before delivery that cannot be found for other reasons.
4. B-ultrasound examination indicates the vertical depth of the maximum amniotic fluid pool, and a depth of 3-8cm is considered normal amniotic fluid volume. Less than 3cm indicates oligohydramnios, while greater than 8cm indicates polyhydramnios. If there is a lot of amniotic fluid, the fetus can grow up healthy; If there is insufficient amniotic fluid, it can cause meconium accumulation, premature birth, or even asphyxia in the fetal period.
The above is the information compiled by the editor on the normal amniotic fluid index at 23 weeks of pregnancy, which I believe will be of great help to everyone. During pregnancy, prenatal check ups are an important task. Only necessary examinations can reduce the possibility of fetal diseases and deformities. It is believed that with the improvement of living standards, mothers will also do more appropriate prenatal check ups for their babies, so as to give birth to healthy babies.
