Prenatal Amnioinfusion as a Diagnostic Tool in Severe Oligo- and Anhydramnios: A Retrospective Single-Center Experience with Descriptive Perinatal Outcomes
<b>Objective</b>: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of antepartum amnioinfusion in cases of severe oligo- and anhydramnios and to descriptively report perinatal outcomes. <b>Methods</b>: This retrospective single-center study analyzed all antepartum amnioinfusions performed between 2009 and 2024 in pregnancies between 16 + 0 and 34 + 0 weeks of gestation. The primary endpoint was diagnostic impact following amnioinfusion. Secondary endpoints were descriptive perinatal outcomes. No inferential statistical analyses were performed. <b>Results</b>: A total of 37 amnioinfusions were performed in 31 patients. Median gestational age at first amnioinfusion was 22 ± 4.3 weeks, with a mean infusion volume of 259 ± 59.4 mL. The most frequent etiologies were preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM, 29%), fetal growth restriction (FGR, 25.8%), and urogenital malformations (22.6%). Amnioinfusion improved sonographic visualization and diagnostic assessment in the majority of cases. Pregnancy prolongation was observed in selected subgroups; however, causal inference regarding therapeutic efficacy cannot be drawn. <b>Conclusions</b>: Antepartum amnioinfusion represents a valuable adjunct for prenatal diagnostic evaluation in severe oligo- and anhydramnios. Observed perinatal outcomes should be interpreted descriptively. Further prospective, controlled studies are required to define the role of amnioinfusion beyond diagnostic feasibility.
Authors
- Christel Eckmann-Scholz
- V Günther
- André Farrokh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3808-9317)
- Johannes Ackermann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7141-8912)
- Kristin Andresen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5935-0571)
- Nicolaì Maass (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1430-4676)
- Ulrich Pecks
- Ibrahim Alkatout
Institutions
- University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (DE)
- Universitätsklinikum Würzburg (DE)
- University of Lübeck (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Published
- 2026-01-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm15020511
- Primary Topic
- Preterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00