Rupture of membranes
Encyclopedia
Rupture of membranes or amniorrhexis is a term used during pregnancy
to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
. Normally, or "spontaneously", it occurs at full term
at the onset of, or during, labor. This is colloquially known as "breaking water." A premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is a rupture that occurs prior to the onset of labor.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
Amniotic sac
The amniotic sac is the sac in which the fetus develops in amniotes. It is a tough but thin transparent pair of membranes, which hold a developing embryo until shortly before birth. The inner membrane, the amnion, contains the amniotic fluid and the fetus. The outer membrane, the Chorion,...
. Normally, or "spontaneously", it occurs at full term
Full Term
Full Term in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge refers to the eight weeks within the longer academic term during which lectures are given and students are required to be in residence...
at the onset of, or during, labor. This is colloquially known as "breaking water." A premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is a rupture that occurs prior to the onset of labor.
Effects
When the amniotic sac breaks or ruptures, production of the hormone prostaglandin increases, speeding up contractions.Types
- SROM = spontaneous rupture of membranes. SROM ("the waters go") is when the membranes rupture at full termFull TermFull Term in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge refers to the eight weeks within the longer academic term during which lectures are given and students are required to be in residence...
. The rupture is usually at the bottom of the uterus, over the cervix, causing a gush of fluid. This gush may be quite small (such as 50ml), or it can be significantly large (200-300ml) depending upon amount of fluid in the amniotic sac, and to what extent the fetal head is plugging the hole and retaining fluid in the sac.
- PROM = prelabor or premature rupture of membranes
- PPROM = preterm, premature rupture of membranes
- AROM = artificial rupture of membranesArtificial rupture of membranesArtificial rupture of membranes can be used for labor induction.A sterile, plastic, thin hook is brushed against the membranes just inside the cervix, causing the fetal head to move down against the cervix, usually resulting in the contractions becoming stronger and eventually causing the membranes...
. AROM can be used for labor induction.