The Association between Isolated Oligohydramnios at Term and Pregnancy Outcomes

Conflicting data exist concerning the implications of isolated oligohydramnios on pregnancy outcome at term. Aim: To assess the association between isolated oligohydramnios at term and pregnancy outcome in low-risk pregnancies. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of term pregnancies with sonographic finding of isolated Oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index (AFI) <5 cm) between 2017 and 2019, conducted at Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Tishreen University Hospital, Lattakia, Syria, during the period between January 2019 – January 2020. Outcome was compared to a control group of pregnancies with normal AFI (5–25 cm). Pregnancies complicated by hypertension, diabetes, deviant fetal growth or chromosomal/ structural abnormalities were excluded. Composite adverse outcome included cesarean section delivery, low Apgar score, neonatal intensive care admission, meconium aspiration syndrome, or intubation. Results: Overall, 190 pregnancies complicated by isolated oligohydramnios were compared to 200 low-risk pregnancies with normal AFI. Isolated oligohydramnios was associated with a higher rate of induction of labor (29.8 % vs. 4 %, p < 0.05), cesarean section delivery (21.6 vs. 13 %, p < 0.05) and composite adverse outcome (13.2 % vs. 7 %, p < 0.05). However, after adjusting for potential confounders as induction of labor and nulliparity using multivariable logistic regression analysis, isolated oligohydramnios was not found to be independently associated with increased risk for composite adverse outcome (OR 1.07, 95 % CI 0.9–1.31, p = 0.87). Conclusion: Isolated oligohydramnios at term by itself is not associated with increased obstetrical morbidity.

The New Methods for the Prenatal Diagnosis of Down syndrome

The aim of the present research is to determine the appropriate diagnostic methods to find out the affected fetuses with Down Syndrome in order to decrease as possible subjecting the pregnant women to invasive prenatal diagnosis . This is a Prospective – practical study, where /1137/ pregnant women at 13- 16 gestation weeks, ( age range: 20-42 years) were included. Biochemical screening of the pregnant women, ultrasound screening of the fetuses: nuchal translucency, nasal bone, which helped us to isolate the highrisk pregnancies for Down syndrome (the potential rate of incidence ≥ 0.4%). The screen positive group included 57 pregnant ( 5.01% ) . Amniocentesis and subsequently karyotyping was done to each woman in this group . We found out 4 affected fetuses from 5 ( 80%) , because the following up of the remaining pregnancies revealed a fifth affected newborn with Down syndrome. The early prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome was possible in ( 80% ) by subjecting only ( 5.01% ) of pregnants to the invasive prenatal diagnosis .