Various Causes of Early Rupture of Amniotic fluid

Medical Video: Ruptured Membranes

One of the most typical signs of labor is rupture of amniotic fluid. When the amniotic fluid ruptures, this usually indicates that you are ready to give birth in the near future. However, sometimes the membranes break earlier, even long before you enter labor.

When the membranes rupture before gestational age reaches 37 weeks and labor does not begin within one hour after, this condition is known as premature rupture of membranes (KPD). About one-quarter of all preterm births are caused by premature rupture of the amniotic fluid because once your membranes break, the best treatment step is to induce labor as soon as possible if it is safe and possible.

The amniotic sac serves as a protector so that infectious organisms cannot reach you and the baby, so the loss of protection from the membranes will trigger an increased risk of infection. The risk will continue to increase if your amniotic fluid ruptures further away from the time of labor. Thus, the earlier your amniotic fluid breaks, the more risks and complications involved.

What makes pregnant women vulnerable to ruptured membranes earlier?

Early ruptured membranes include quite rare pregnancy complications, affecting only 2-3 percent of pregnancies. However, this condition is associated with nearly 40 percent of premature births and can result in an increased risk of health problems and / or death in newborns - including brain hemorrhage, bone deformities, nerve disorders, and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The three main causes of neonatal death related to premature rupture of membranes are prematurity, sepsis, and pulmonary hypoplasia.

Rupture of the membranes is often unexpected, and the cause is also often difficult to know. But, there are a number of factors that make a pregnant woman susceptible to premature rupture of amniotic fluid, including:

Urinary tract infection (UTI) - a common trigger for premature rupture of membranes
History of ruptured membranes early in previous pregnancy
History of preterm birth
History of high blood pressure, or active
Damage to the membranes of the amniotic sac (infection or inflammation)
Acceleration of amniotic membrane activation
Damaged or weak cervix (from physical trauma, such as a collision during a motorized accident, or due to an infection)
Excessive stretch of the uterus and amniotic sac (distension). Double pregnancy or too much amniotic fluid that must be dammed (polyhydramnios) are two common causes of distention
Kidney, bladder, uterine or vaginal infections
Lack of collagen in the amniotic sac tissue
Vaginal bleeding for more than one trimester
Position of breech baby
Have had a medical procedure in the uterus - cerclage in early pregnancy to prevent premature birth; amniocentesis (genetic abnormalities test) in early pregnancy; or biopsy of the uterus due to abnormal Pap smears
Having sex
Doing strenuous exercise or physical activity that places great pressure on the body
Smoking or abusing drugs
A messy diet and poor nutrition during pregnancy (Lack of copper, zinc, or vitamin C)
Lung disease
Low body BMI
Connective tissue disease (MCTD) - a collection of similar symptoms found in systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polymyositis, and dermatomyositis
Low family socio-economic status

What will happen when the membranes rupture early?

When considering what causes amniotic fluid to rupture, it is important to understand that this is a natural part of birth that usually occurs just before or during labor. What not many people know, is quite common for amniotic fluid to rupture while you sleep. Some women may think that they wet their bed at night.

When the membranes rupture, there will usually be a sound or a small "explosion" in the stomach. The amniotic flow between one woman and another can be different, some feel like a little wet and others experience a flood that drops from the vagina. Amniotic fluid can be a young brownish yellow with a smell that resembles urine. Sometimes amniotic fluid can also be clear and odorless. If you are not sure that your amniotic fluid has broken, contact your doctor so that he can do a test to see the condition of your amniotic sac.

As soon as the membranes rupture, you will start experiencing contractions if you have not experienced them. If you don't enter labor within 24 hours, you may experience preterm labor. Sometimes, when the flow of leakage is slow and signs of infection are not present, contractions may not start within a few days or longer. In addition, the location of leaks in the high amniotic sac can sometimes close itself so that preterm labor can be delayed or foiled.

It is important to pay attention to the color and smell of amniotic fluid, especially if it is dark brown or green. Sometimes, babies have digestive activity while still in the womb and this can cause serious conditions for you. Furthermore, if your membranes rupture, you make a greater risk for you and your baby against infection.

What should be done if my membranes rupture early?

Handling the ruptured amniotic fluid earlier will depend on many different factors, including the age of your pregnancy when experiencing it. The doctor will discuss with you about the risks of giving birth or trying to maintain your pregnancy.

If the membranes rupture early at 33-36 weeks of gestation, this is called premature rupture of the membranes rather prematurely. To overcome this, doctors will generally speed up your labor if there is no contraction in the next 48 hours. However, if your gestational age when the membranes rupture is still below 32 weeks, it is called premature rupture of membranes, it may be treated by trying to delay labor to get the baby to develop longer in the womb. This treatment option can be achieved by providing corticosteroids to accelerate the development of infant lung function and antibiotics to prevent / suppress infection.

Of course, all of these decisions will depend on the condition of you and your baby. If one of them is at high health risk, has severe vaginal bleeding, or shows signs of infection, the doctor may decide to continue induction of labor and give birth to your baby no matter how premature it is. The results for premature babies before 24 weeks are usually bad.

Is there a way to prevent the possibility of premature rupture of the membranes?

Doctors don't always know exactly what causes premature rupture of water, so it can be difficult to know how to prevent it.

Here are a number of steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing premature rupture of membranes:

Routine uses all antibiotics for bladder and urinary infections as prescribed by a doctor. This infection can lead to preterm labor but can be easily treated.
Stop smoking, use drugs, and drink alcohol.
The routine is to attend all pregnancy care and prenatal class appointments.
Vitamin C supplementation after the age of 14 weeks of pregnancy can prevent the occurrence of repetition of premature rupture of the membranes in women who have a history of premature ruptured membranes. Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen metabolism and increases the resistance of the amniotic sac membrane tissue.

In addition, if you have a history of previous preterm birth, your doctor may prescribe the progesterone hormone. Medical procedures such as cervical ceclage may also be carried out to help prevent possible premature births in the future.

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