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Green waters at birth. Green water during childbirth: causes and consequences, possible danger of pathology. Brown or black waters

The discharge of water normally occurs during the 1st period of labor with the opening of the cervix to 4-5 fingers, almost before the start of the period of expulsion of the fetus.

Green water during childbirth occurs in about 30% of cases, and is one of the additional symptoms that the doctor focuses on when assessing the condition of the newborn (note - not the main symptom!).

Sometimes the amniotic fluid is poured out before the onset of labor or at the very beginning of labor. In rare cases, the bubble does not open at all and the baby can be born with it (popularly they call it - to be born in a shirt, if the baby survives during such a birth - yes, he is very lucky, because birth with an amnion is very dangerous and often accompanied by detachment placenta).

Why are there green waters during childbirth?

If you are at home and you have a prenatal rupture of water, you need to definitely pay attention to 5 things: amount, color, smell, consistency and the presence of impurities. You will be asked about this upon admission to the hospital.

Normally, the waters are transparent, have a slight admixture of whitish flakes, do not smell of anything (a particularly sensitive nose will only catch a slightly sweet smell, which is almost imperceptible and not unpleasant).

If the green waters have broken, do not panic, this happens to every third woman in labor and does not mean mandatory problems with the baby.

If green amniotic fluid leaves, there is always only one reason - the baby's stool gives the waters a green color. Simply put, your baby pooped inside you before he was born. But why this happened is another story.

In most cases, the reason why there are green waters and the baby is prematurely released from the contents of the intestine is hypoxia. Even a short-term disturbance of blood flow in the placenta and umbilical cord is enough for involuntary defecation to occur. At the same time, blood flow can be restored in the future, and despite the fact that the child was born in green waters, he remains completely healthy.

Since the poor condition of the placenta predisposes to hypoxia, green amniotic fluid is more common in post-term pregnancy, in prolonged childbirth, in the presence of aging of the placenta due to the fact that the mother was sick with infectious diseases.

Another reason why the amniotic fluid is green may be the reaction of the nervous system with intestinal stimulation to labor stress, a strong compression of the head in the mother's birth canal. That is - the child in this case does not suffer from hypoxia at all.

In each case, only the doctor who takes delivery knows exactly what the green waters of the woman in labor mean, and if they have gone away at home or you heard it already in the maternity hospital, do not hesitate to ask. Doctors assess the child's condition comprehensively, and they can tell you what led to such staining of the amniotic fluid, hypoxia, or just your baby was hard.

The statements that sometimes the cause may be food or some kind of severe hereditary pathology should not be taken seriously. Just remember that, by and large, in most cases, green water during childbirth does not talk about anything terrible.

Green water during childbirth, consequences

In most cases, if green amniotic fluid leaves, there are no consequences for the mother and child. However, it is worth remembering that if the waters are green, this means that they contain a child's stool.

If the green waters have broken, the baby may be experiencing hypoxia, and of course, it is important for you to get to the hospital as soon as possible if this happened at home.

The fetus reacts to hypoxia and asphyxia by attempting to inhale prematurely, and it is good if it turns out that the child swallowed green waters, and did not aspirate them. Aspiration (inhalation) of meconium water by the fetus and newborn leads to the development of severe aspiration pneumonia, therefore, such a course of events should be prevented.

In the maternity hospital, if a woman has green water during childbirth, she is sure to do CTG, listen to the fetal heartbeat in order to diagnose hypoxia in a timely manner. If the baby really suffers, measures are taken to end the birth as soon as possible. And delaying time at home after the water breaks, you risk the health of the child.

We met on the network recommendations to sit at home for a day and wait for contractions if the waters have receded. This is very harmful and dangerous advice, with an anhydrous period of 6 hours, the question arises that the baby has a risk of intrauterine infection and there will be a record in the discharge of the newborn - the risk of IUI. And here's the advice - wait a day until it starts ...

If the waters have broken (any), even if there are no contractions, you must go to the hospital immediately!

In this article:

A pregnant woman is beautiful and charming. But few people know what dangers her body is exposed to for nine months and during childbirth.

Despite the colossal work of all medical personnel, as well as the reverent care of the woman herself, there are several reasons for concern. One of them is the green waters in childbirth.

When the rapid moment of childbirth comes, the woman's body tells about this by the discharge of amniotic fluid. This means that the long-awaited baby will be born very soon. Without the necessary fluid, he cannot stay in the womb for a long time, this is fraught with serious consequences for the health of the child. If contractions do not occur within the next few hours, then you should consult a doctor.

The type of amniotic fluid is directly related to the general condition of the baby and mother. If the waters are clear and clean, then this indicates a favorable environment in which the baby developed. If the waters have a light green tint, as well as a pronounced green and dirty, then this is direct evidence that in this case there are deviations from the norm.

There are several prerequisites for the appearance of green waters in a pregnant woman.

Green water during childbirth is now so frequent, a hundred experts are already sounding the alarm about the global problem of the full development of the child in the womb. However, you should not immediately panic if green waters were recorded at one of the consultations. The fact is that the causes of their occurrence vary in degree of importance.

It should also be noted that the emergence of green waters is still under study, many aspects have not yet been studied by medicine.

The reasons for green water during childbirth are as follows:

  • in 30% of cases in parturient women, green amniotic fluid is caused by a slight stress of the baby. Due to its susceptibility, a child during prolonged labor can excrete the original feces, because of this, the water will turn greenish;
  • risk of hypoxia. It is due to a lack of oxygen in the womb. There is a spontaneous contraction of the anus of the child and, as a result, the original feces are released. This explains the strange color of amniotic fluid;
  • if the gestational age has exceeded the deadlines, the placenta begins to age, and the baby lacks oxygen;
  • during pregnancy, a woman suffered a cold or genital infection. Various SARS, bronchitis, inflammation of the bladder and other diseases easily become the cause of infection of the intrauterine fluid;
  • as an option, the appearance of green waters can be considered genetic abnormalities in the development of the fetus. Fortunately, such violations are extremely rare, so you should not focus on them;
  • the appearance of green waters is also provoked by the food the day before: fresh peas or apple juice. This theory has not yet been substantiated, but it should not be overlooked either.

What is the danger of green water during childbirth?

By the color of the amniotic fluid, you can determine the nature of the course of pregnancy. If the waters are clear, this is a signal that the child is in good health and was born healthy. By the way, doctors in such a situation do not provoke premature birth, but allow the baby to be born at the scheduled time.

Green amniotic fluid means one thing - meconium got into them, and, in other words, the baby pooped. If the tests show a high degree of contamination, the situation requires immediate medical attention. It is also possible to apply emergency measures.

If this situation occurs at home, you pregnant woman should immediately go to the hospital. Doctors will take the necessary measures to keep the baby healthy and prevent him from taking the unfortunate sip of the harmful liquid.

If you find green water in the hospital, then you need to inform your doctor and conduct additional tests. In most cases, doctors perform a caesarean section to get the baby out of the contaminated environment as quickly as possible.

Consequences of green waters during childbirth: what to expect in the future?

Let's be frank and speak frankly. Green water during childbirth is a bad sign. Due to the fact that the child could drink the infected liquid, he will subsequently have a weak immune system. But these are isolated cases, which are accompanied by a number of other significant indicators.

There is no direct correlation between green waters and fetal health. You should carefully monitor your health and undergo examinations on time.

It's important to know!

If a pregnant woman's green waters have broken, it is necessary to immediately sound the alarm and urgently carry out the birth of the baby. Panic, fuss and simple ignorance of what needs to be done can lead to oxygen starvation of the fetus, which causes irreparable harm to it. At this moment, the behavior of the doctor is important, who will correctly carry out the cleansing procedures of the respiratory tract at the time the baby's head appears.

If meconium contamination occurred during childbirth, then you should not worry about the health of the child. In 100% of cases, this will not lead to any consequences and a healthy baby will be born.

A pregnant woman should understand that during childbirth there are many factors that can significantly affect the health of the baby. But for nine months you can pay maximum attention to your health, rest, nutrition, positive emotions. Take care of yourself and your child!

Informative video about the course of childbirth

Green waters during childbirth - a fact that makes a young mother worry. Indeed, normally, in which the baby is located, they should be transparent and clean, sometimes with streaks of blood.

If the waters of a greenish hue leave the woman in labor, this means that something went wrong. About what could be the causes and consequences of such a deviation from the norm, read in our today's material.

Green water during childbirth: causes

Why are there green waters during childbirth? The reason for this color is the presence in the amniotic fluid of meconium, the baby's original feces. Normally, the first bowel movement in a child should occur after childbirth, but if the woman in labor has green water, then the feces passed away in the womb.

Unfortunately, there is no unambiguous and exact answer to the question why a pregnant woman may have green waters yet. Therefore, let's consider all possible reasons from the point of view of doctors.

Green water during childbirth: consequences

The problem with green water during childbirth is that if a baby swallows this toxic liquid, it can have severe health consequences for the baby's lungs. So, due to aspirated meconium, a baby can develop:

  • chemical pneumonitis - meconium lipids aggressively affect the lungs, due to which part of it or the entire organ can be paralyzed;
  • the destruction of the surfactant, the main function of which is to prevent the collapse of the lungs on exhalation and to promote expansion on inspiration;
  • collapse of lung tissue due to obstruction of the airways by meconium.

Often, babies born in green waters are born in a state of asphyxia, so they get a low score for.

Respiratory failure of the newborn due to meconium damage can occur both immediately and 10 hours after birth. This condition is called aspiration syndrome in neonatology and depends on how long the child has been in a contaminated environment and how badly his airways have been affected.

Newborns who have undergone aspiration syndrome in the future may more often than others develop diseases of the respiratory system, chronic respiratory failure.

Green water during childbirth: help and treatment

If during childbirth, the green waters of the woman in labor have departed, the main task is to remove the existing meconium from the respiratory tract of the newborn as much as possible. It is important to carry out all medical manipulations quickly, even before the child takes the first breath, so that meconium particles do not get into the alveoli.

To do this, even in the process of birth, the child is carried out the following procedures:

  • suck meconium immediately after the eruption of the head;
  • wash the airways with isotonic sodium solution;
  • a special tube is inserted into the larynx and trachea (intubated) to prevent the spread of meconium and further cleanse the airways.

Purification (sanation) of the respiratory tract is carried out until clear water is obtained. If the surfactant - a substance that prevents the lungs from collapsing on exhalation and promotes expansion on inspiration - has been destroyed, the child is given special preparations, humidified oxygen to maintain gas exchange and antibiotics to prevent the development of infection.

Be attentive to yourself and your baby during pregnancy, and we wish you a successful and easy birth!

One of the signs of the onset of labor is the discharge of amniotic fluid. This can happen spontaneously or artificially, by piercing the fetal bladder. The condition of the departed waters is taken into account, ideally they should be colorless and transparent. Green waters during childbirth usually indicate problems in the child.

In recent years, the green tint of amniotic fluid is becoming more common, in connection with which experts seriously thought about the emergence of a large-scale problem in relation to the normal intrauterine development of a child in the mother's body. But you should not panic, even if the green waters have receded - this does not mean that everything is bad. The causes of green waters in childbirth vary in importance.

Amniotic fluid throughout pregnancy provides the fetus with nutrition and protection. They are 97% water, containing proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and other biologically active substances. Normally, amniotic fluid is colorless. The green color of the waters is one of the main variants of their coloring. Less common are red and brown waters.

According to experts, the reasons for the appearance of amniotic fluid of this color are:

  1. Fetal hypoxia. When the child does not have enough oxygen, meconium is released into the water - his original feces, against the background of reflex compression of the anal sphincter. Meconium turns the water green.
  2. Aging of the placenta. Meconium can also be excreted as a result. In this case, the placenta ages and can no longer cope with the functions for which it is responsible - nutrition and oxygen supply to the fetus. The situation is the same - the fetus begins to experience a lack of oxygen and releases primordial feces ahead of time.
  3. Infections during pregnancy. These can be acute and chronic diseases that a woman suffered while in a position: urinary tract pathologies (pyelonephritis, etc.), sexual infections (, ureaplasmosis, etc.), colds, SARS, tonsillitis, influenza and much more.
  4. Genetic diseases of the child. Such phenomena rarely occur, but they should not be ruled out.

Answering the question why green waters appear during childbirth, the following possible reasons should be noted:

  • low hemoglobin in the mother;
  • intrauterine infection;
  • entanglement or prolapse of the umbilical cord;
  • placental abruption and a sharp violation of blood circulation in its tissues.

There is an opinion that eating a large amount of green vegetables and fruits can cause the amniotic fluid to stain in the appropriate color. But experts do not consider this information sufficiently substantiated. Most neonatologists are sure that no matter how much green peas and cabbage are eaten before childbirth, this will not affect the color of the amniotic fluid.

What is the danger?

During pregnancy and childbirth, water enters the mouth and respiratory system of the fetus. It is not dangerous, the more pure transparent waters are harmless to him. If the amniotic fluid is green, it is most likely contaminated with meconium, and the higher the degree of this contamination, the more serious the consequences for the baby.

Meconium green waters can cause oppression of the nervous and cardiovascular systems of the fetus, cause respiratory disorders, up to the development of asphyxia in the newborn. Once in the lungs of a child, the remnants of meconium provoke the development of serious pneumonia. Babies who have experienced meconium aspiration (breathing blockage) at birth have low Apgar scores. In the future, they often catch colds and suffer from diseases of the respiratory system.

Consequences of green waters during childbirth

The consequences of green waters during childbirth are usually associated with hypoxia and the fact that the child swallowed them while still in the womb. In any case, after birth, such a baby undergoes aspiration of the respiratory tract, but due to the presence of meconium in the waters, difficulties often arise with breathing and ventilation of the child's lungs. To avoid this, the doctor during childbirth asks the woman in labor to delay her attempts, and after the appearance of the baby's head, he immediately clears his airways from foreign contents.

If the amniotic fluid has departed spontaneously, outside the walls of the maternity hospital, a woman should definitely pay attention to its volume, smell and color - this information is relevant for specialists who take delivery. If the green waters have departed, and labor activity does not develop, then in most cases a decision is made on an emergency caesarean section. After birth, such a newborn is monitored more carefully, and after discharge from the maternity hospital, it is recommended for a young mother to show the child to a neurologist as soon as possible.

Hypoxia in childbirth can be fraught with serious consequences that affect the development of the child. Much depends on the degree of contamination of the amniotic fluid. Most often, in children who have experienced hypoxia during childbirth, doctors observe persistent sleep disturbances, causeless regurgitation and vomiting, speech development delays, and much more. Fortunately, this does not happen in all cases, and many children born against the background of such a complication during childbirth are born healthy and develop fully without any delays or deviations.

Water plays an important role in gestation. The amniotic fluid provides nourishment and protection to the baby throughout pregnancy. Its discharge by tearing or a bubble in the hospital is one of the first signs of the birth process. Even if there are no contractions, and the waters have departed, the woman needs to urgently call an ambulance team, because without a liquid medium, the child may die with the worst prognosis.

Waters of a greenish tint are increasingly fixed by doctors during delivery. This trend indicates a possible large-scale problem - pathologies of intrauterine development. Green water during childbirth can appear for various reasons, but not all of them are equally significant. It is important to know in which cases an opaque color signals violations in order to respond to them in time and prevent disaster.

Doctors believe that the condition of the waters has invaluable diagnostic value. There are several priority reasons for the appearance of green waters during childbirth:

  • oxygen "hunger" of a small one;
  • overdue baby;
  • infection during gestation.

Rare gene anomalies in the fetus can cause a situation where green amniotic water breaks during childbirth. But this factor is so rare that it is not worth focusing on it.

Green water during childbirth is not always a cause for concern. Pushing through the birth canal of the mother, the baby is stressed, therefore, involuntarily empties the intestines. Meconium in a newborn and turns everything green. This happens in 30% of cases, most often with prolonged labor.

There is a hypothesis that green amniotic fluid during childbirth occurs when the woman in labor drank apple juice or ate green peas the day before. But it is unlikely that the color of the waters is really connected with nutrition.

When answering the question why during childbirth the water is green or greenish, do not forget about factors such as:

  • low hemoglobin in a woman in labor;
  • torsion / prolapse of the umbilical cord;
  • detachment of a child's place, a sharp violation of hematodynamics in it, which can become the underlying reason for the development of hypoxia.

There are several prerequisites for the appearance of green waters in a pregnant woman.

Thus, the final causes of the accumulation of green amniotic water during childbirth are not always reliably known. Most often, oxygen deficiency caused by one reason or another leads to the release of meconium. Due to a lack of oxygen, the sphincter of the crumbs may begin to contract involuntarily, pushing out the feces. That is why green waters break during childbirth.

But not only feces stain them in a pathological color. Answering the question of what amniotic fluid can be, why and why it is green water during normal childbirth that makes gynecologists worry, it should be noted that the yellow or gray-green color indicates oligohydramnios. And this sign in itself is a rather dangerous sign.

There are other shades of water: yellow, reddish, brownish.

It is not a fact that green waters during childbirth will be a harbinger of further health problems for a newborn baby, but they may be why, having received information about the unusual color of the waters, the doctor will insure and send the patient for special tests.

The potential danger of green waters lies not so much in their color, but in the causes and consequences for children.

How to determine the color of amniotic fluid

Thus, feces or infection can enter the aquatic environment around the fetus, as a result of which amniotic green waters appear. But there is another color:

  • yellow, cloudy, dirty - the norm when a baby is born;
  • yellow with streaks of pink or red on the background of well-being - just a harbinger of the uterus's readiness for resolution from the burden;
  • red is fraught with serious consequences for the mother and child, in which case urgent hospitalization is needed;
  • the dark brown, seemingly black color of the water during childbirth is a signal of the intrauterine death of the baby, but the mother can and should be saved.

If amniotic fluid spilled long before the birth at home, for example, at the time of taking a bath, be sure to call an ambulance.

Important! Remember the color, smell, amount of colored water when it comes to premature leakage. This information will need to be reported to a specialist.

Methods for diagnosing amniotic waters:

  • amnioscopy;
  • amniocentesis (puncture of the amniotic sac);
  • Ultrasound (in this respect, an uninformative method).

What is the danger of green water during childbirth

If green waters poured out during childbirth, this means that there is a serious threat to the baby's lungs.

Throughout pregnancy, the fetus absorbs amniotic fluid. First (in the first months) - with the skin, then swallows some water by mouth. If they are transparent and do not contain foreign inclusions, then nothing threatens the baby's body. If his own secretions enter the respiratory system of the fetus, then in the future he will be susceptible to pneumonia or pulmonitis. In addition, meconium pulmonary inflammation is difficult to treat, leading to high infant mortality.

Green water during childbirth is not something to be feared if there is an experienced doctor nearby. He will immediately clear the airways, but if he still does not have time to do this at the time the head appears, pay attention to the fight against possible consequences.

Green waters during childbirth mean that the baby is at risk, but does not necessarily entail anomalies.

It is not known for certain why green waters appear at or before the birth of a child, but the severity of the consequences is proportional to the degree of hypoxia. That's why the baby after birth and his mother, if a pathology is suspected, undergo additional examinations.

Consequences of green waters during childbirth: what to expect in the future

Every mother should know the causes and consequences of the discharge of green water during childbirth, because this pathology can also develop at the end of pregnancy, complicating childbirth.

Here are the dangers of green water during childbirth:

  • postpartum pneumonia, bronchitis;
  • diseases of the eyes, kidneys, skin;
  • belated development;

Green water during childbirth provokes unpleasant complications and consequences for the child. The consequences of hypoxia may not appear immediately, but in 2-3 years in the form of a delay in speech development or in adolescence in the form of fainting.

If the green waters broke during childbirth and when the child drank and did not burp the contaminated substance, he risks suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, and rickets in the future. Parents will feel all the consequences and influence of green waters during childbirth on the development of the baby in the first year of life. The newborn may experience:

  • anxiety;
  • hyperactivity;
  • muscle tone;
  • sleep disorders;
  • intracranial hypertension;
  • capriciousness and much more.

That is why you can not ignore the symptoms of pathology and self-medicate.

Green waters and caesarean section

In cases where water of an unusual color has poured out, and contractions do not begin, the doctor may perform a caesarean section. The section is carried out after CTG in order to preserve the health of the baby. In the process of giving birth naturally, the child could choke on amniotic water with feces, but thanks to a caesarean section, this will not happen.

Green water during delivery is a common case in medical practice that has a certain diagnostic value.

If amniotic water enters the lungs, the doctor will clear the respiratory tract, but part of the infected substance can enter the body with the first breath. This is fraught with developmental delay, soreness of the offspring and even death. Turning to specialists will avoid these consequences.