Learning About Your Pregnancy Ultrasound Results

You just had a pregnancy ultrasound. Your Treatment may include: results may include some terms that you • Monitoring: This means closely don’t know and want to learn more about. watching the amount of amniotic This handout will describe some conditions fluid using ultrasound. You will need that may be found during a pregnancy to monitor fetal movement. ultrasound. Talk to your doctor about any • Limiting strenuous exercise and questions that you have about your results. increasing fluid intake. • Regular checkups: Your healthcare Oligohydramnios provider may want to see you more Oligohydramnios is when you have too little often. amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is the fluid • Delivering the baby: If problems that surrounds your baby in your uterus are too risky for you or your baby, (womb). It’s very important for your baby’s you may need to deliver your baby development. early.

Causes Polyhydramnios This condition may happen for many Polyhydramnios is when you have too much reasons. amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid is the fluid • Your water breaks early, before that surrounds your baby in your uterus going into labor (womb). It is mostly made up of fetal urine. • Poor fetal growth The amount of fluid is always changing as • A placenta that functions poorly baby swallows fluid and then expels it • Certain birth defects (such as, kidney through urine. Amniotic fluid is very and urinary tract problems) important for your baby’s development. Most cases of polyhydramnios are mild and Treatment result from a slow buildup of amniotic fluid To figure out the best treatment, we will during the second half of pregnancy. Severe need to find out as much as we can about the cases may cause you to feel short of breath condition. To do that, you may need one or or lead to preterm labor. more other tests. These could include: • Nonstress test Causes • Biophysical profile • A process that increases the amount • Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI) of urine the baby makes or decreases baby’s ability to swallow The goal is to prevent delivery for as long as • A birth defect that affects the baby's it’s safe. Treatment may also make you GI tract or central nervous system more comfortable. Treatment will depend on • Mother has diabetes your symptoms, pregnancy, and health. It • Twin-twin transfusion — can occur will also depend on how severe the with identical twins in which one condition is. twin receives too much blood and the other too little • A lack of red blood cells in the baby Umbilical Cord Cysts (fetal anemia) Umbilical cord cysts are sacs of fluid in the • Mother’s blood is not compatible umbilical cord. These cysts occur in about 2- with baby’s 3 of every 100 pregnancies. They are often • Infection found during the 7-14 week ultrasound.

Other times, the cause is not clear. Causes In most cases the cause is unknown and Treatment these cysts will not harm the baby. They You may need a more detailed ultrasound almost always go away by 14 weeks of and other tests. Testing will be based on pregnancy. If there are many cysts or they your risk factors, infections and prior tests of last longer into the pregnancy, then they your baby. Treatment involves closely may be sign of concern. watching your pregnancy. This means you may need: Treatment • Nonstress test If we find a cord cyst during an early • Biophysical profile ultrasound, we will suggest a second • Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI) ultrasound between 11-14 weeks. This will help us figure out if the cyst is a sign of Subchorionic Bleed concern. We may also suggest more detailed A subchorionic bleed is when blood collects genetic testing. between the uterine lining and the outer fetal membrane. Blood may also collect under Further Testing the placenta itself. You may also hear this Based on your results from the ultrasound, type of bleed called a subchorionic your doctor may suggest other tests. These hematoma or hemorrhage. This type of tests could include: bleed can be seen on an ultrasound. You • Nonstress test: This test checks how may or may not also have vaginal bleeding. your baby's heart rate reacts when Most bleeds resolve on their own, and your baby moves. During the test, women go on to have healthy pregnancies. you'll wear a special device on your belly to measure the baby's heart Causes rate. You may be asked to eat or The precise cause is unknown. drink something to make the baby active. Treatment • Biophysical profile: This test uses Once you have this type of bleed, there's an ultrasound to look more closely at nothing that can be done to stop it. Your your baby's breathing, tone and doctor may ask you to come in for follow-up movement. It can also look at the exams or a repeat ultrasound. Your doctor volume of amniotic fluid. This may may tell you to increase your fluid intake, be combined with a nonstress test. avoid heavy lifting, or excessive exercise. • Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI): This is an ultrasound that measures the volume of amniotic fluid.

Your health care team may have given you this information as part of your care. If so, please use it and call if you have any questions. If this information was not given to you as part of your care, please check with your doctor. This is not medical advice. This is not to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Because each person’s health needs are different, you should talk with your doctor or others on your health care team when using this information. If you have an emergency, please call 911. Copyright © 5/2021 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing HF#8198.