Maternal Hydramnios and Congenital Anomalies of the Central Nervous System

Hydramnios in Relation to Foetal Mortality

“…Carvalho (1954) estimated that in one out of 12 cases hydramnios was due to oesophageal atresia. Prindle et al (1955) found that 20 out of 107 babies with this condition were associated with maternal hydramnios, and Scott and Wilson (1957) found hydramnios in 12 out of 13 cases of oesophageal atresia. Of our seven patients with oesophageal atresia, six were stillborn or died in the neonatal period.…”

“…Prindle et al (1955) found a perinatal mortality of 51% in 155 infants, and Moya et al (1960) reported a mortality of 29% in 79 infants associated with maternal hydramnios. One hundred and eighteen infants (41 %) had one or more congenital defects.…”

“…In the same period there were 256 pregnancies with hydramnios, resulting in 287 births (Table 1). In the 15,853 live births the incidence of hydramnios was 18 per 1,000, compared with an incidence of 3 1 per 1,000 given by Malpas (1937) in Liverpool, and Prindle, Ingalls and Kirkwood (1955) in Boston. Moya, Apgar, James and Berrien (1960) found 79 infants associated with hydramnios in 24,316 deliveries, an incidence of 3 * 2 per 1,000 births.…”