Did Severity of Polyhydramnios affect Mode of Delivery?

Abstract

Background: In Pakistan, the incidence of polyhdramnios is 2.4%. The objectives of this study were to find out the frequency of severity of polyhydramnios and the frequency of different modes of delivery in pregnancies with polyhydramnios. Material and Methods: This cross sectional study was done in Department Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, from July 2010 to December 2011. Inclusion criterion was patients with pregnancies of more than 26 weeks of gestation with ultrasonographically confirmed polyhydramnios. Patients with twin pregnancies, fibroid uterus, any abdominal or gynecological malignancies were excluded from the study. Detail history was taken, per abdominal and per vaginal examinations were performed. Polyhydramnios were confirmed ultrasonographically and categorized as mild, moderate or severe on the basis of amniotic fluid index. Patients were followed till the end of labour. Results: The total number of patients was 532. Mean age of the patients was 30.30 ± 6.28 (20–42) years. The mean age of gestational amenorrhea was 35.6 ± 3.35 (28-41) weeks. The number and age% of mild polyhydramnios was 304 (57.5%), of moderate 123 (23.1%) and of severe polyhydramnios 105 (19.7%). Overall in 532 case, normal vaginal delivery was done in 423 (79.4%), instrumental delivery in 48 (9.1%) and cesarean section was performed in 61 (11.5%) cases. Normal vaginal delivery was the most common mode of delivery among the entire study population. Conclusion: Normal vaginal delivery was the commonest mode of delivery in any grade of severity of polyhydramnios.