Transabdominal antepartum amnioinfusion.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether transabdominal antepartum amnioinfusion is associated with maternal complications during pregnancy and at childbirth.

METHODS

Fifty-three pregnant women, hospitalized for oligohydramnios and submitted to transabdominal antepartum amnioinfusion between 16 and 34 weeks' gestational age, were compared with a historic group of 42 pregnant women treated conservatively.

RESULTS

The study population was divided into two groups of women with ruptured and unruptured membranes (Groups A and B, respectively). The latency period between time of admission and term of pregnancy was more favorable in amnioinfused patients (Group A: 22 vs. 11 days; Group B: 30 vs. 9 days), and none of the maternal adverse events under study was significantly more common in amnioinfused patients. By contrast, maternal temperature over 38 degrees C was more frequent among controls than among amnioinfused patients with ruptured membranes (23% vs. 4%); so was the number of cesarean sections for fetal distress in Group B (50 vs. 11%).

CONCLUSIONS

Antepartum amnioinfusion does not appear to induce greater complications than conservative treatment for oligohydramnios, with or without premature rupture of membranes. On the contrary, this procedure seems to offer several benefits to pregnant women.