Polyhydramnios - frequency of congenital anomalies in relation to the value of the amniotic fluid index

Objective: The aims of our study were to assess the correlation between the amniotic fluid index (AFI) value and the frequency and type of fetal anomalies. Material and methods: The material included 94 patients at the third trimester of pregnancy, 60 with mild polyhydramnios, 19 with moderate one, and 15 with severe one. Polyhydramnios was diagnosed if AFI was > 24 cm. All patients were divided into three groups based on the value of AFI: 1) mild polyhydramnios with AFI between 24.1 and 29.9 cm, 2) moderate polyhydramnios with AFI between 30-34.9 cm, and 3) severe polyhydramnios with AFI >= 35 cm. Results: The incidence of fetal malformations correlated significantly with the degree of polyhydramnios and was the highest in patients with severe polyhydramnios (53.3%, p = 0.002). Congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract were the most frequent fetal anomalies in the whole group of patients (5.3%). Trisomy 18 was the most frequent aneuploidy found in women with polyhydramnios (2.1%). Conclusions: 1. The incidence of fetal congenital anomalies significantly increases with the degree of polyhydramnios, being most frequent in severe one and rather rare in a mild one. 2. Congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract were the most frequent anomalies in patients with polyhydramnios, especially in women with severe polyhydramnios.