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The Effects of Maternal Position on the Amniotic Fluid Index

Maternal Fetal Medicine of Central Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Terry Tressler, DO, Maternal Fetal Medicine of Central Pennsylvania, 100 S Second St, Medical Science Building, Suite 4B, Harrisburg, PA 17101 USA. E-mail: ttressler{at}pinnaclehealth.org

Objective. We investigated the influence of maternal positioning on the measurement of the amniotic fluid index (AFI) in third-trimester pregnancies. We wanted to determine whether a change in the position of the women, from supine-flat to supine-elevated, would influence the measurement of the AFI. Methods. Each patient had AFI measurements obtained in both positions by the same investigator. Results. We determined the values of the amniotic fluid index to be consistent in both positions for pregnancies with normal AFI measurements. Conclusions. Measurements of the amniotic fluid did not appear to be influenced by maternal position in the third trimester when the AFI was in the normal range.

Key Words: amniotic fluid index • supine hypotension • third-trimester pregnancy

Abbreviations: AFI, amniotic fluid index