Assessing the Relationship Between Polyhydramnios Severity and Fetal Congenital Malformations

Objective: To determine the frequency of fetal malformations among pregnant women with polyhydramnios. To determine the association between the severity of polyhydramnios and fetal congenital malformations. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar over a period of six months (April-Oct, 2022). A sample size of 380 pregnant women was selected through non-probability consecutive sampling technique including pregnant women undergoing medical history, physical examination and detailed ultrasound screening. Data was collected using a proforma. IBM SPSS 24 was used to analyze the data descriptive statistics were applied and chi- square test was used to determine the association between the severity of polyhydramnios and fetal congenital malformations. Result: Regarding parity, 42.1% were nulliparous, 25.5% primiparous, and 32.4% multiparous. Ultrasound revealed mild polyhydramnios in 19.7%, moderate in 47.6%, and severe in 32.6%. Fetal anomalies were present in 50.8% of cases of polyhydramnios, including gastrointestinal (12.1%), cardiovascular (11.1%), central nervous system (16.6%), musculoskeletal (7.6%), and multi-organ system malformations (3.4%) while 49.2% had no anomalies. A significant association was observed between fetal anomalies and the severity of polyhydramnios (p < 0.001). Fetal anomalies were more commonly noted with severe polyhydramnios. Conclusion: A significant association was found between the severity of polyhydramnios and the presence of fetal anomalies with approximately half of the cases exhibited fetal malformations i.e., GIT, CVS and CNS abnormalities being the most common. The likelihood of fetal malformations increased notably with severity of polyhydramnios.