title: Fetal breathing movements as predictor of favourable pregnancy outcome after oligohydramnios due to membrane rupture in second trimester.
abstract: In 11 pregnancies complicated by oligohydramnios due to spontaneous rupture of the membranes in the second trimester of pregnancy fetal breathing movements were assessed regularly by ultrasonographic examinations. In the 6 cases in which fetal breathing movements were detected the babies were liveborn and there was no evidence of pulmonary hypoplasia or the other non-renal features of Potter's syndrome. In the other 5 cases there were no fetal breathing movements. 1 pregnancy was terminated electively, and 1 ended in an intrauterine death; the remaining 3 infants died in the neonatal period. All 5 cases showed necropsy evidence of pulmonary hypoplasia. These findings indicate that premature and prolonged rupture of membranes in the second trimester of pregnancy does not uniformly result in a poor prognosis. They suggest that fetal breathing movements could be used as a predictor of favourable neonatal outcome.
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000150:complications*; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000002:abnormalities; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D012119:Respiration; D014463:Ultrasonography