A Cochrane review concluded that "simple maternal hydration appears to increase amniotic fluid volume and may be beneficial in the management of oligohydramnios and prevention of oligohydramnios during labour or prior to external cephalic version."

In severe cases oligohydramnios may be treated with amnioinfusion during labor to prevent umbilical cord compression. There is uncertainty about the procedure's safety and efficacy, and it is recommended that it should only be performed in centres specialising in invasive fetal medicine and in the context of a multidisciplinary team.

In case of congenital lower urinary tract obstruction, fetal surgery seems to improve survival, according to a randomized yet small study.

Healthy eating can be instituted at any stage of the pregnancy including nutritional adjustments, use of vitamin supplements, and smoking cessation. Calcium supplementation in women who have low dietary calcium reduces the number of negative outcomes including preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, and maternal death. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests 1.5-2 g of calcium supplements daily, for pregnant women who have low levels calcium in their diet. Supplemental intake of C and E vitamins have not been found to reduce preterm birth rates. Different strategies are used in the administration of prenatal care, and future studies need to determine if the focus can be on screening for high-risk women, or widened support for low-risk women, or to what degree these approaches can be merged. While periodontal infection has been linked with preterm birth, randomized trials have not shown that periodontal care during pregnancy reduces preterm birth rates.

A number of agents have been studied for the secondary prevention of indicated preterm birth. Trials using low-dose aspirin, fish oil, vitamin C and E, and calcium to reduce preeclampsia demonstrated some reduction in preterm birth only when low-dose aspirin was used. Interestingly, even if agents such as calcium or antioxidants were able to reduce preeclampsia, a resulting decrease in preterm birth was not observed.

Fetuses with polyhydramnios are at risk for a number of other problems including cord prolapse, placental abruption, premature birth and perinatal death. At delivery the baby should be checked for congenital abnormalities.

Some doctors recommend complete bed-rest for the mother coupled with massive intakes of protein as a therapy to try to counteract the syndrome. Research completed shows these nutritional supplements do work. Diet supplementation was associated with lower overall incidence of TTTS (20/52 versus 8/51, P = 0.02) and with lower prevalence of TTTS at delivery (18/52 versus 6/51, P = 0.012) when compared with no supplementation. Nutritional intervention also significantly prolonged the time between the diagnosis of TTTS and delivery (9.4 ± 3.7 weeks versus 4.6 ± 6.5 weeks; P = 0.014). The earlier nutritional regimen was introduced, the lesser chance of detecting TTTS ( P = 0.001). Although not statistically significant, dietary intervention was also associated with lower Quintero stage, fewer invasive treatments, and lower twin birth weight discordance. Diet supplementation appears to counter maternal metabolic abnormalities in monochorionic twin pregnancies and improve perinatal outcomes in TTTS when combined with the standard therapeutic options. Nutritional therapy appears to be most effective in mitigating cases that are caught in Quintero Stage I, little effect has been observed in those that are beyond Stage I.

This procedure involves removal of amniotic fluid periodically throughout the pregnancy under the assumption that the extra fluid in the recipient twin can cause preterm labor, perinatal mortality, or tissue damage. In the case that the fluid does not reaccumulate, the reduction of amniotic fluid stabilizes the pregnancy. Otherwise the treatment is repeated as necessary. There is no standard procedure for how much fluid is removed each time. There is a danger that if too much fluid is removed, the recipient twin could die. This procedure is associated with a 66% survival rate of at least one fetus, with a 15% risk of cerebral palsy and average delivery occurring at 29 weeks gestation.

In most cases, the exact cause cannot be identified. A single case may have one or more causes, including intrauterine infection (TORCH), rh-isoimmunisation, or chorioangioma of the placenta. In a multiple gestation pregnancy, the cause of polyhydramnios usually is twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Maternal causes include cardiac problems, kidney problems, and maternal diabetes mellitus, which causes fetal hyperglycemia and resulting polyuria (fetal urine is a major source of amniotic fluid).

A recent study distinguishes between mild and severe polyhydramnios and showed that Apgar score of less than 7, perinatal death and structural malformations only occurred in women with severe polyhydramnios.

In another study, all patients with polyhydramnios, that had a sonographically normal fetus, showed no chromosomal anomalies.

but these anomalies include:

- gastrointestinal abnormalities such as esophageal atresia & duodenal atresia (causing inability to swallow amniotic fluid), anencephaly, facial cleft, neck masses, tracheoesophageal fistula, and diaphragmatic hernias. An annular pancreas causing obstruction may also be the cause.

- Bochdalek's hernia, in which the pleuro-peritoneal membranes (especially the left) will fail to develop & seal the pericardio- peritoneal canals. This results in the stomach protrusion up into the thoracic cavity, and the fetus is unable to swallow sufficient amounts of amniotic fluid.

- fetal renal disorders that result in increased urine production during pregnancy, such as in antenatal Bartter syndrome. Molecular diagnosis is available for these conditions.

- neurological abnormalities such as anencephaly, which impair the swallowing reflex. Anencephaly is failure of close of the rostral neuropore (rostral neural tube defect). If the rostral neuropore fails to close there will be no neural mechanism for swallowing.

- chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome (which is itself often associated with GI abnormalities)

- Skeletal dysplasia, or dwarfism. There is a possibility of the chest cavity not being large enough to house all of the baby's organs causing the trachea and esophagus to be restricted, not allowing the baby to swallow the appropriate amount of amniotic fluid.

- sacrococcygeal teratoma

The cause is not known but is often associated with some:

- fetal chromosomal anomalies

- intra uterine infections

- drugs; PG inhibitors, ACE inhibitors

- renal agenesis or obstruction of the urinary tract of the fetus preventing micturition such as posterior urethral valves in males

- intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) associated with placental insufficiency

- "amnion nodosum"; failure of secretion by the cells of the amnion covering the placenta

- postmaturity (dysmaturity)

Turning the baby, technically known as external cephalic version (ECV), is when the baby is turned by gently pressing the mother’s abdomen to push the baby from a bottom first position, to a head first position. ECV does not always work, but it does improve the mother’s chances of giving birth to her baby vaginally and avoiding a cesarean section. The World Health Organisation recommends that women should have a planned cesarean section only if an ECV has been tried and did not work.

Women who have an ECV when they are 36–40 weeks pregnant are more likely to have a vaginal delivery and less likely to have a cesarean section than those who do not have an ECV. Turning the baby before this time makes a head first birth more likely but ECV before the due date can increase the risk of early or premature birth which can cause problems to the baby.

There are treatments that can be used which might affect the success of an ECV. Drugs called beta-stimulant tocolytics help the woman’s muscles to relax so that the pressure during the ECV does not have to be so great. Giving the woman these drugs before the ECV improves the chances of her having a vaginal delivery because the baby is more likely to turn and stay head down. Other treatments such as using sound, pain relief drugs such as epidural, increasing the fluid around the baby and increasing the amount of fluids to the woman before the ECV could all effect its success but there is not enough research to make this clear.

Turning techniques mothers can do at home are referred to Spontaneous Cephalic Version (SCV), this is when the baby can turn without any medical assistance. Some of these techniques include; a knee to chest position, the breech tilt and moxibustion, these can be performed after the mother is 34 weeks pregnant. Although there is not a lot of evidence to support how well these techniques work, it has worked for some mothers.

In twin pregnancies, it is very common for one or both babies to be in the breech position. Most often twin babies do not have the chance to turn around because they are born prematurely. If both babies are in the breech position and the mother has gone into labour early, a cesarean section may be the best option. About 30-40% of twin pregnancies result in only one baby being in the breech position. If this is the case, the babies can be born vaginally. After the first baby who is not in the breech position is delivered, the baby who is presented in the breech position may turn itself around, if this does not happen another procedure may performed called the breech extraction. The breech extraction is the procedure that involves the obstetrician grabbing the second twin's feet and pulling him/her into the birth canal. This will help with delivering the second twin vaginally. However, if the second twin is larger than the first, complications with delivering the second twin vaginally may arise and a cesarean section should be performed. At times, the first twin (the twin closest to the birth canal) can be in the breech position with the second twin being in the cephalic position (vertical). When this occurs, risks of complications are higher than normal. In particular, a serious complication known as Locked twins. This is when both babies interlock their chins during labour. When this happens a cesarean section should be performed immediately.

Although the risk of placental abruption cannot be eliminated, it can be reduced. Avoiding tobacco, alcohol and cocaine during pregnancy decreases the risk. Staying away from activities which have a high risk of physical trauma is also important. Women who have high blood pressure or who have had a previous placental abruption and want to conceive must be closely supervised by a doctor.

The risk of placental abruption can be reduced by maintaining a good diet including taking folic acid, regular sleep patterns and correction of pregnancy-induced hypertension.

It is crucial for women to be made aware of the signs of placental abruption, such as vaginal bleeding, and that if they experience such symptoms they must get into contact with their health care provider/the hospital "without any delay".

The outcome of Potter's Sequence is poor. A series of 23 patients in 2007 recorded 7 deaths, 4 in the neonatal period. All 16 survivors have chronic kidney disease, with half developing end stage renal failure (median age 0.3 years, range 2 days to 8.3 years). Survivors had growth impairment (44%) and cognitive and motor development delay (25%)

The first child to survive Bilateral Renal Agenesis (BRA), Abigail Rose Herrera Beutler, was born on July 2013 to US Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler.

A few weeks before she was born, Dr. Jessica Bienstock, a professor of maternal-fetal medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital, administered a series of saline solution injections into the mother's womb to help the baby's lungs to develop. After Abigail was born, the procedure was considered a success. The infant did not need artificial respiration and could breathe on her own. Her parents kept her on kidney dialysis at home until old enough for a kidney transplant. On February 8, 2016, at the age of two, Abigail received a kidney from her father at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford in California.

Women who have had premature rupture of membranes (PROM) are more likely to experience it in future pregnancies. There is not enough data to recommend a way to specifically prevent future PROM. However, any woman that has had a history of preterm delivery, because of PROM or not, is recommended to take progesterone supplementation to prevent preterm birth recurrence.

When the fetus is premature (< 37 weeks), the risk of being born prematurely must be weighed against the risk of prolonged membrane rupture. As long as the fetus is 34 weeks or greater, delivery is recommended as if the baby was term (see above).

Treatment depends on the amount of blood loss and the status of the fetus. If the fetus is less than 36 weeks and neither mother or fetus is in any distress, then they may simply be monitored in hospital until a change in condition or fetal maturity whichever comes first.

Immediate delivery of the fetus may be indicated if the fetus is mature or if the fetus or mother is in distress. Blood volume replacement to maintain blood pressure and blood plasma replacement to maintain fibrinogen levels may be needed. Vaginal birth is usually preferred over Caesarean section unless there is fetal distress. Caesarean section is contraindicated in cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation. People should be monitored for 7 days for postpartum hemorrhage. Excessive bleeding from uterus may necessitate hysterectomy. The mother may be given Rhogam if she is Rh negative.

Placental insufficiency or utero-placental insufficiency is the failure of the placenta to deliver sufficient nutrients to the fetus during pregnancy, and is often a result of insufficient blood flow to the placenta. The term is also sometimes used to designate late decelerations of fetal heart rate as measured by electronic monitoring, even if there is no other evidence of reduced blood flow to the placenta, normal uterine blood flow rate being 600mL/min.

Early neonatal mortality refers to a death of a live-born baby within the first seven days of life, while late neonatal mortality covers the time after 7 days until before 28 days. The sum of these two represents the neonatal mortality. Some definitions of the PNM include only the early neonatal mortality. Neonatal mortality is affected by the quality of in-hospital care for the neonate. Neonatal mortality and postneonatal mortality (covering the remaining 11 months of the first year of life) are reflected in the Infant Mortality Rate.

Preterm birth is the most common cause of perinatal mortality, causing almost 30 percent of neonatal deaths. Infant respiratory distress syndrome, in turn, is the leading cause of death in preterm infants, affecting about 1% of newborn infants. Birth defects cause about 21 percent of neonatal death.

The four goals of the treatment of eclampsia are to stop and prevent further convulsions, to control the elevated blood pressure, to deliver the baby as promptly as possible, and to monitor closely for the onset of multi-organ failure.

Detection and management of pre-eclampsia is critical to reduce the risk of eclampsia. The USPSTF recommends regular checking of blood pressure through pregnancy in order to detect preeclampsia. Appropriate management of women with pre-eclampsia generally involves the use of magnesium sulphate to prevent convulsions.

According to the theory of thrifty phenotype, placental insufficiency triggers epigenetic responses in the fetus that are otherwise activated in times of chronic food shortage. If the offspring actually develops in an environment rich in food it may be more prone to metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type II diabetes.

Potter sequence is the atypical physical appearance of a baby due to oligohydramnios experienced when in the uterus. It includes clubbed feet, pulmonary hypoplasia and cranial anomalies related to the oligohydramnios. Oligohydramnios is the decrease in amniotic fluid volume sufficient to cause deformations in morphogenesis of the baby.

Oligohydramnios is the cause of Potter sequence but there are many things that can lead to oligohydramnios. It can be caused by renal diseases such as bilateral renal agenesis (BRA), atresia of the ureter or urethra causing obstruction of the urinary tract, polycystic or multicystic kidney diseases, renal hypoplasia, amniotic rupture, toxemia, or uteroplacental insufficiency from maternal hypertension.

The term "Potter sequence" was initially intended to only refer to cases caused by BRA; however, it is now commonly used by many clinicians and researchers to refer to any case that presents with oligohydramnios or anhydramnios regardless of the source of the loss of amniotic fluid.

MAS is difficult to prevent. Amnioinfusion, a method of thinning thick meconium that has passed into the amniotic fluid through pumping of sterile fluid into the amniotic fluid, has not shown a benefit.

Circumvallate placenta is a placental morphological abnormalitiy, a subtype of placenta extrachorialis in which the fetal membranes (chorion and amnion) "double back" on the fetal side around the edge of the placenta. After delivery, a circumvallate placenta has a thick ring of membranes on its fetal surface.

The fetal surface is divided into a central depressed zone surrounded by a thickened white ring which is incomplete the ring is situated at varying distance from the margin of the placenta. The ring is composed of a double fold of amnion and chorion with degenerated decidua vera and fibrin in between. Vessels radiate from the cord insertion as far as the ring and then disappear from the view.

Complete circumvallate placenta occurs in approximately 1% of pregnancies. It is diagnosed prenatally by medical ultrasonography, although one 1997 study of prenatal ultrasounds found that "of the normal placentas, 35% were graded as probably or definitely circumvallate by at least one sonologist," and "all sonologists misgraded the case of complete circumvallation as normal." The condition is associated with perinatal complications such as placental abruption, oligohydramnios, abnormal cardiotocography, preterm birth, and miscarriage.

Surfactant appears to improve outcomes when given to infants following meconium aspiration.

It has been recommended that the throat and nose of the baby be suctioned as soon as the head is delivered. However, this is not really useful and the revised Neonatal Resuscitation Guidelines no longer recommend it. When meconium staining of the amniotic fluid is present and the baby is born depressed, it is recommended that an individual trained in neonatal intubation use a laryngoscope and endotracheal tube to suction meconium from below the vocal cords. If the condition worsens, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be useful.

Albumin-lavage has not demonstrated to benefit outcomes of MAS. Steroid use has not demonstrated to benefit the outcomes of MAS.