Pregnant Women Can Now Test for Amniotic Fluid Leakage at Home

A new at-home screening for amniotic fluid leakage during pregnancy could help control a condition that may lead to serious complications such as infections and preterm labor.

The AmniScreen home detection kit is located in a panty liner, and is intended for pregnant women who experience unexplained vaginal wetness. Other potential candidates include high-risk pregnant women, women who have undergone amniocentesis, women who have experienced prior amniotic fluid leakage, and those who are concerned about unexplained wetness. Each AmniScreen test kit contains three panty liners and three drying trays, offering screening in any location. The system works by detecting elevated pH levels, which may indicate amniotic fluid leakage; a pH level greater than or equal to 5.2 produces a blue-green color. Patients are then instructed to report the test results to their healthcare provider for interpretation and medical care. The test should not be used if less than 12 hours have passed since sexual intercourse or vaginal douching, and if there is vaginal bleeding or spotting. The AmniScreen home detection kit is a product of Barr Pharmaceuticals (Montvale, NJ, USA), and has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"It's important to know when wetness may be caused by amniotic fluid leakage,” said Nancy Jasper, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University (New York, NY, USA). "This new tool provides pregnant women with an effective way to identify unexplained wetness, with easy-to-read results that should be discussed with their healthcare provider. This important new test is an additional resource which may provide healthcare providers with information to help determine the necessity of a patient hospital or office visit.”

Over 20% of women arriving at the hospital due to wetness they suspect to be caused by amniotic fluid leakage are sent back home after verifying the cause of the wetness is urine (many third trimester pregnancies are accompanied with urine incontinence, specifically when coughing or laughing). On the other hand, many pregnant women do not react to initial amniotic fluid leakage, as they are sure the wetness they sense is from urine incontinence or vaginal discharge, endangering both themselves and the fetus.

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