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

## TL;DR

A low-glucose diet significantly reduced amniotic fluid levels in pregnant women with idiopathic polyhydramnios.

## Contribution

This study shows that dietary modification can effectively manage idiopathic polyhydramnios in normoglycemic pregnant women.

## Key findings

- AFI decreased significantly after two and four weeks of a low-glucose diet.
- The greatest reduction in AFI occurred within the first two weeks of the intervention.

## Abstract

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.

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.

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).

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.