NEWS – AmnioSense Panty-Liner Detects Amniotic Fluid Leaks

NEWS – AmnioSense Panty-Liner Detects Amniotic Fluid Leaks

Around 1 in 10 pregnant women experience premature rupture of the amniotic membrane which protects the baby. Most of these will go into labour soon after this happens. It’s really easy to miss small tears and leaks which can put both mother and baby at risk of potentially life-threatening infections.

Over 20% of pregnant women visit the hospital reporting that they have felt wetness and are worried that it might be a leak but half of them are sent home after being examined and having had amniotic fluid leak ruled out.

I love reading about new, clever products and AmnioSense is a really interesting one that can spare women from worrying during pregnancy and save the NHS both time and money. It also saves the pregnant women time as it helps eliminate unnecessary trips to the hospital. AmnioSense is a NICE evaluated and clinically proven product that, even though it’s an ingenious new medical device, simply looks like a regular panty-liner.

The AmnioSense liners have a central test strip that changes colour when it comes in contact with amniotic fluid. The colour stays for at least two hours so you will not miss it. Pregnant women tend to go for a wee at least every two hours!

“The initial reaction is triggered by any liquid which has a pH of more than 6.5, which rules out some urinary leaks (the pH of urine ranges from 4.0 to 8). A second reagent in the strip reacts differently to ammonia, so any response caused by urine will fade after 10 minutes.”

Only two drops of fluid are needed to activate a result and clinical trials have confirmed that AmnioSense panty-liners are as accurate as hospital-based examinations at detecting small leaks of amniotic fluid.

It’s a completely non-invasive test that helps pregnant women differentiate between a pregnancy niggle — bladder weakness — and a potentially serious pregnancy complication. It’s really simple to use but very effective and trustworthy. You can wear each panty-liner for up to 12 hours which allows it to detect even very small and slow leaks of amniotic fluid.

“The clinical studies and independent evaluation by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), have all confirmed the accuracy and effectiveness of AmnioSense. NICE concluded that using the panty-liner, alongside appropriate changes to clinical practice in the community, should be encouraged.”

I can see that the product can be very useful for women who are worried or at higher risk of a premature rupture of the amniotic sac. Women who have had a rupture in a previous pregnancy, have had cervical surgery, are overweight or diabetic are at higher risk of experiencing ruptures and leaks.

A single visit to an antenatal unit costs the NHS £147 and research shows that 38 per cent of women who used AmnioSense did not have to attend because they were able to confirm their leaks were harmless. This means that AmnioSense could save the NHS a lot of money as well as a lot of concern for pregnant mothers.

AmnioSense costs £29.99 for 12 diagnostic panty-liners and will be available from Boots and via www.amniosense.co.uk.

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