preview

Essay about Human Anatomy: The Amniotic Fluid that Surrounds the Fetus

Decent Essays

Amniotic fluid Amniotic fluid is the liquid that surrounds the fetus after the first few weeks of gestation and is contained within the amniotic cavity. It surrounds the growing fetus, protecting it form external pressure. The fluid is initially secreted from the amnion and is later supplemented by urine from fetal kidneys. Some fluid is swallowed by the fetus and absorbed by the fetal intestine. It has a composition similar to blood plasma, and is initially produced by transport of fluid across the amniotic membrane itself. From week 16 onwards, fetal urine makes an important contribution to the amniotic fluid. If the fetus excretes no urine, the volume of amniotic fluid will be low, and leads to a condition known as oligohydramnios. …show more content…

Once the GIT was collected, the fetuses undergoing normal gestation had a relative weight of the small intestine to increase by 80%, while the fetuses that did not swallow had a reduction in body weight by 43%. The results clearly show that amniotic fluid is paramount to the development of the GIT. (Sangild, 2003) • Trauma protection: The watery environment acts as a shock absorber, attenuating any external force. • Temperature regulation Oligohydramnios Oligohydramnios is the aberrant condition, which occurs in 4% of pregnancies, where there is a low level of amniotic fluid, causing the amniotic cavity to be too small. It can occur in any trimester, although it is more common to occur during the third trimester. Oligohydramnios accompanies a broad range of reproductive disorders including fetal anomalies, such as impaired growth and development, functional anomaly to mother and placenta. The most common cause of oligohydramnios is the rupture of the amniotic sac. Causes of Oligohydramnios: The five main causes of oligohydramnios are: 1. Fetal causes: The kidneys develop between weeks 5 and 7 of fetal gestation, and urine production commences at week 14. When kidneys fail to develop properly, renal agenesis, less or no fetal urine is produced, which is the main contributor for amniotic fluid synthesis; hence, a low volume of amniotic fluid is produced. 57% of oligohydramnios cases are due to

Get Access