Will there still be fetal movement if the membranes rupture early?

Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
Updated on May 18, 2025
00:00
00:00

When premature rupture of membranes occurs, amniotic fluid will leak intermittently, which can cause some pregnant women to worry about fetal hypoxia or even lack of fetal movement inside the womb. However, this concern is misguided. Although the amniotic fluid may leak intermittently when membranes rupture prematurely, new amniotic fluid is continuously produced to replenish it. Thus, the fetus will still be active within the uterus and fetal movements can still be felt. However, after premature rupture of membranes, it is crucial to monitor whether the frequency of fetal movements is normal. This is because the chances of fetal hypoxia or intrauterine infection can increase after membrane rupture, and monitoring fetal movements is one of the simplest and most effective ways to assess the fetal condition in the uterus. If a decrease in fetal movements is observed, it is imperative to promptly carry out fetal heart monitoring or assess the overall condition of the pregnant woman. If fetal hypoxia is confirmed, it may be necessary to terminate the pregnancy swiftly.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
1min 2sec home-news-image

Is premature rupture of membranes prone to infection?

After premature rupture of membranes, various aspects of impact on both the mother and the fetus can occur, but the most important is the risk of infection. After the rupture of membranes, since the amniotic cavity is connected to the vagina through the cervix, the bacteria present in the vagina can potentially enter the amniotic cavity through the cervix and cause an infection inside the amniotic cavity. Therefore, after the rupture of membranes, the most crucial action is to prevent infection, primarily using antibiotics for treatment and closely monitoring indicators of infection. Monitoring for infection after premature rupture of membranes can be done in the following ways: first, pay attention to the characteristics of the amniotic fluid, which often has an odor in case of infection; second, monitor infection indicators, including white blood cells and C-reactive protein; third, observe if the pregnant woman exhibits any symptoms of fever.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
1min 7sec home-news-image

Can premature rupture of membranes be detected by ultrasound?

Premature rupture of membranes refers to the rupture of the amniotic sac before labor begins. The diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes is mainly based on clinical symptoms, gynecological examination, and ultrasound assessment. Ultrasound can only serve as an auxiliary tool for diagnosing premature rupture of membranes. This is because, during premature rupture, an ultrasound might sometimes show a reduction in amniotic fluid due to significant fluid leakage, although amniotic fluid can also regenerate quickly. In such cases, an ultrasound done for premature rupture of membranes might still show the amniotic fluid level within the normal range. Therefore, the diagnosis of premature rupture of membranes heavily relies on clinical symptoms and gynecological examination. The presence of a large amount of fluid leaking from the vagina and a change in color on the amniotic fluid test strip during a gynecological examination are crucial for confirming the diagnosis. Ultrasound, in this context, serves only as a supplementary diagnostic method.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
55sec home-news-image

Premature rupture of membranes causes and symptoms

The symptoms of premature rupture of membranes include the following aspects: First, the most important symptom is the intermittent discharge of clear fluid from the vagina, which is often the most typical symptom of premature rupture of membranes. Second, abdominal pain can occur, as the rupture of the membranes can stimulate contractions causing pain. Third, sometimes there may be a small amount of spotting, mainly due to a small amount of bleeding caused when the membranes rupture. The causes of premature rupture of membranes include the following aspects: First, excessive amniotic fluid can cause high pressure inside the amniotic cavity, which may sometimes lead to spontaneous rupture of the membranes. Second, if there is local inflammation, such as chorioamnionitis, it can also cause the membranes to rupture under severe conditions, leading to premature rupture of membranes.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
1min 9sec home-news-image

Can there still be fetal movement if the membranes rupture at five months of pregnancy?

Being about five months pregnant generally corresponds to around twenty weeks of pregnancy. During this period, if premature rupture of membranes (PROM) occurs, fetal movements are usually still perceptible. This is because, although amniotic fluid intermittently leaks due to PROM, it continues to be produced. Therefore, a certain amount of amniotic fluid remains within the amniotic cavity, providing space for fetal activity, allowing the mother to feel fetal movements. However, sometimes there may be abnormal changes in fetal movements, such as an increase or decrease. For a five-month pregnancy with PROM, regardless of the presence of fetal movements, it is generally not recommended to attempt to preserve the pregnancy. This is because the success rate of sustaining the pregnancy is very low at this stage. Even if the pregnancy could be extended by about a month to reach twenty-four weeks, the survival rate of the fetus remains extremely low. Therefore, when PROM occurs at five months of pregnancy, although fetal movements can still be detected, it is not possible to maintain the pregnancy, and it is necessary to promptly opt for induction of labor to terminate the pregnancy.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Lu
Obstetrics
59sec home-news-image

Will the fetus still move if the membranes rupture prematurely?

Premature rupture of membranes refers to the rupture of membranes before labor, with amniotic fluid leaking intermittently. Based on the timing of the rupture, it can be classified into term premature rupture of membranes and preterm premature rupture of membranes. Although amniotic fluid will leak after the membranes rupture, leading to a reduction in its volume, amniotic fluid continues to be produced. Therefore, the fetus will still continue to move actively inside the uterus. In most cases, there is no abnormality in fetal movements after membrane rupture. However, if the membranes have been ruptured for a long time, or if the fetus experiences intrauterine hypoxia due to other factors, a decrease or absence of fetal movements may occur. Thus, normally, fetal movements continue after membrane rupture, but they may decrease or disappear if hypoxia occurs.