title: Idiopathic polyhydramnios and postnatal abnormalities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the proportion and type of fetal anomalies that are associated with polyhydramnios and to examine whether in cases with idiopathic polyhydramnios during the course of pregnancy and fetal anomalies only diagnosed after birth, antenatal characteristics differ.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study involving all pregnancies with polyhydramnios defined by a deepest pool of amniotic fluid ≥8 cm and a detailed ultrasound examination, a 75 g glucose tolerance test and a TORCH serology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2004 and 2010, 272 pregnancies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In 89 (32.7%) and 65 (23.9%) cases, there was a fetal anomaly or diabetes. In 118 (43.4%) pregnancies, polyhydramnios was classified as idiopathic. In 11 (9.3%) of the 118 fetuses, an anomaly was found after birth, mainly gastrointestinal atresia. In these cases, median deepest pool of amniotic fluid was 9.6 cm, and median estimated fetal weight was at the 69th centile, whereas in cases without anomalies diagnosed after birth, median deepest pool was 9.0 cm and median estimated fetal weight at the 90th centile (Mann-Whitney U test: deepest pool p = 0.116, and estimated fetal weight centile p = 0.377). There was also no difference in the maternal and gestational age distribution of these cases (Mann-Whitney U test: maternal age p = 0.293, and gestational age p = 0.499).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In about 40% of pregnancies, polyhydramnios remains unexplained during the course of pregnancy. In 10% of these cases, an anomaly will only be found after birth. In this group, antenatal characteristics such as amniotic fluid volume, estimated fetal weight or gestational and maternal age at the time of diagnosis do not help to detect these anomalies before birth.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Abele
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Starz
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Hoopmann
authors: Britta
authors: B
authors: Yazdi
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Rall
authors: Karl Oliver
authors: KO
authors: Kagan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000503:physiopathology; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D020567:Fetal Weight; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005858:Germany; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D006831:Polyhydramnios / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography