Amniotic fluid is the fluid that surrounds the baby within the uterus during pregnancy , and is contained within the amniotic sac or sac. It is a vital element for its development, since it protects it from injury, heat loss and contains the essential nutrients it needs for its proper growth.
The rupture of the membranes that make up the amniotic sac (amniorrhexis) involves the loss of the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus, and can occur at any time during pregnancy.
In most cases, this rupture occurs spontaneously from week 37 of gestation, being one of the signs that labor is approaching. However, in 10% of the cases the rupture of membranes occurs prematurely , predisposing to preterm delivery.
Causes of premature rupture of membranes
The causes involved in the premature rupture of the bag can be varied, and sometimes even unknown, but among the most probable are:
- Infection in the uterus
- Vaginal bleeding
- History of preterm labor
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Very exaggerated distention of the bag (when there is an excess of liquid or in case of multiple pregnancies)
- External factors such as smoking
Risk of preterm birth and other risks
The main risk of premature rupture of the bursa is preterm delivery , hence the importance of close medical monitoring of mother and baby, to delay this event as much as possible.
But according to experts, a premature rupture of membranes also carries other important risks:
- It increases the risk of serious infection of the placental tissues (chorioamnionitis), which can be very dangerous for the mother and the baby.
- It increases the risk of placental abruption, umbilical cord compression, cesarean section, and postpartum infection.
What do you do when the bag breaks prematurely?
Before the premature rupture of the bag, the doctors will assess the best strategy to follow depending on the specific circumstances of the patient , if there is any situation that could compromise her well-being or that of the baby, and the gestational age.
In most cases, an “expectant management” is usually chosen. That is, to see how events unfold, under rigorous control consisting of:
- Hospital rest
- Frequent monitoring of the baby to check fetal well-being
- Antibiotics given to the mother to avoid the risk of infections.
- And in case of pregnancies below 32 weeks, corticosteroids are also administered to accelerate the maturity of the baby’s lungs.
María José Remesal, midwife at the Virgen de Valme University Hospital in Seville, explains that when the rupture of membranes occurs before week 36, the pregnancy could continue to evolve under close medical surveillance that includes cultures, analytics and periodic records that help to detect any problems early. In this way, weeks 34-35 could be reached, where the maturity of the baby would be evaluated and the induction of labor would be evaluated.
In Babies and more | A fissure in the amniotic sac: what you should know about this pregnancy complication
