The volume of the amniotic fluid in the early months of pregnancy

1.1. The volume of the amniotic fluid in each of sixty-six intact gestation sacs from the first and second trimesters of pregnancy is considered in relation to the length of the embryo, the estimated and actual menstrual ages of the pregnancy, and, in certain cases, to aspects of the maternal history. Sixty-two of the specimens were from intrauterine pregnancies; four were from tubal gestations.2.2. The distribution of the volumes of the amniotic fluid in fourteen “normal” specimens follows the pattern of an exponential curve but it is unlikely that such would be maintained for the remainder of pregnancy.3.3. No relationship between abnormality of the embryo and the volume or the color of the amniotic fluid could be determined.4.4. In the specimens from tubal pregnancies, the volume of the amniotic fluid appeared less than in intrauterine pregnancies of equivalent duration.5.5. The size of the embryo and the degree of expansion of the uterus (or the uterine tube) are considered important factors in determining the volume of the amniotic fluid at a given stage of pregnancy.6.6. The need for more observations on the volume of the amniotic fluid in the early stages of pregnancy is stressed.