Oral hydration therapy in oligohydramnios.

Aim: Oligohydramnios is a threatening condition to fetal health, for which some treatments are available, or are under evaluation. We aimed to assess the effect of acute oral hydration on maternal amniotic fluid index (AFI).

Methods: An randomized controlled trial was conducted on 44 pregnant women diagnosed by sonography to have oligohydramnios (2.1 < AFI < 6 cm).

Results: The mean AFI before intervention was 50.8 in the intervention group and 52.1 in the control group. After intervention, the mean AFI was 67.2 and 52.5 in the intervention and control groups, respectively, (P < 0.001, t-test = 3.827). The mean urinary specific gravity (USG) change was 13.4 after oral hydration in the intervention group and 1.68 in the control group (P < 0.001, t-test = 3.954).

Conclusion: Acute oral hydration is a noninvasive, easily accessible and cheap intervention, and an effective way of increasing AFI.