The Impact of a Low-Glucose Diet on Amniotic Fluid Index in Pregnant Women with Idiopathic Polyhydramnios: A Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Polyhydramnios, defined as excessive amniotic fluid accumulation, increases the risk of maternal and fetal complications. In idiopathic cases, management options are limited. This prospective interventional study aimed to evaluate the effect of a low-glucose diet on the amniotic fluid index (AFI) in normoglycemic pregnant women with idiopathic polyhydramnios. Martials and Methods: A prospective interventional study was conducted involving 51 pregnant women between 24 to 35 weeks of gestation with idiopathic polyhydramnios at Al-Zahra Women’s Tertiary Referral University Hospital from 2024 to 2025. A low glucose dietary pattern was implemented by a nutrition specialist. AFI was measured at baseline, and two- and four-week’s post-intervention. To assess differences and changes in AFI across three visits paired T-tests and Repeated measures ANOVA were used. Results: The mean AFI levels at the initial visit, and at two and four weeks later, were 27.19, 22.41, and 19.5 cm, respectively. We noted a significant reduction in AFI at both the two- and four-week marks compared to the baseline (P= 0.001). The rate of decrease in AFI after two weeks (mean= 22.4, P= 0.001) was greater than that observed four weeks later (mean= 19.5; P= 0.004). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that reducing excessive oral sugar intake and modifying dietary habits resulted in a reduction of the amniotic fluid index (AFI) in pregnant women with idiopathic polyhydramnios.