Fetus According to a novel study, pregnant women may have a greater risk of having insufficient amniotic fluid levels in the summer heat due to dehydration. Atleast this is what the investigators from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) believe.

Amniotic fluid is noted to be the protective fluid which is contained by the amnion of a pregnant woman. This nourishing liquid shields the fetus by cushioning the mother’s abdomen against any blows from external objects. Apart from being instrumental in muscular and skeletal development, it is also believed to protect the developing child from heat loss.

For the purpose of better evaluating oligohydramnios in pregnant women, the study experts were noted to have assessed the pregnancies of those women who were suffering from this condition. It was observed that summer season did appear to carry more cases of this condition than the remaining months of the year. This observation was made after considering various other factors which may cause fluid loss in an expecting mother.

Professor Eyal Sheiner of the Faculty of Health and Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, elucidates, “It is important for pregnant women to drink appropriate amounts of water specifically in the summer — about 10 glasses per day — and avoid direct sun, not only for the health of the mother, but also in order to avoid fetal dehydration.”

This study was stated to have been conducted with the main aim of evaluating whether the summer season may be considered as a risk factor for the deficiency of amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios). This study objective was undergone by tallying the frequency of amniotic fluid loss during the seasonal month of summer with its occurrence during the remaining months.

This study has been published in the issue of Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics.