Echogenic Bowels and RPD (Fluid in Kidneys of My Unborn Son)

My son had fluid in his kidneys when they did an ultrasound at 36 weeks. I was worried too! We had an ultrasound of his kidneys after he was born and it had gone away on its own. From the research I did it seemed like this was relatively common. Good luck and stay positive!

Hi L., I am an ultrasound tech and a Mom. I can't even begin to tell you how often I see fluid in the kidneys (especially on boys). You didn't say how much fluid, but I assume they told you minor...when you get your next ultrasound ask if it got better or not. If it continues to get worse, after he is born you can always get an ultrasound after 24 hours (24 hours allows him enough time to rehydrate after birth) Most of the time it is from post urethral valves (boys have them, and girls do not) The majority of the time it isn't even necessary to recheck after birth. It is that minor. He will be fine. The echogenic bowel also isn't that significant of a finding, although not as common, I see it on many healthy babies. Don't worry too much, enjoy your pregnancy! If you think you would terminate the pregnancy if you knew he had downs then do an amnio, but if you are going to accept him for him, then don't do the amnio and just pray and enjoy every little kick he sends you!

what happen if one kidney is echogenic kidney in 23 weeks,do i have any problem after delivery for new born baby.Please help me in this.........

Hi L.. At my second trimester ultrasound I was told that my daughter had an increased risk of DS due to some "markers" they found. I was offered an amniocentesis, which would tell us for sure, but declined. I did not want to risk my baby's life and the outcome would not have mattered to me. That is not to say that someone who chooses to have one is wrong. Everyone has to make that decision for themselves, and it's a hard one. My daughter was born perfectly healthy! I know this is a really hard time. Just hang in there :-)

My doctor told me that my son had an echogenic bowel. I was going crazy. I had my NT test and that was fine. We also went for genetic counseling and an echocardiogram and all other results were fine. The only way we would know for sure was with an amnio. But, i decided that even if my child was down syndrome i would keep the baby. so, it didn't matter to me either way. We decided not to go for the amnio and my son was born healthy. Don't stress too much and enjoy your pregnancy. The ultrasounds now a days are very sensitive and pick up even the slightest detail.

I guess because of your age you did not have amnio. I
would have a serious sit down with my doc to discuss
everything. An amnio would certainly put your concerns
to rest. Good luck.

To perhaps put your mind at ease somehwat...My 3rd daughter had echogenic bowel on one sonogram. I was worried about it, even more so after doing research on the internet (I would strongly advise against that). The bowel was perfectly normal at the next sonogram and she was born 100% perfect. She is almost 3 now. Hope that helps. I am sure that if any anomolies were detected at a sonogram, your doctor would recommend a follow-up sonogram. Was the sonogram performed by a neonatal specialist? or just a general sonogram tech.?

Hi L.. Have you had your Level 2 ultrasound yet? This is where they carefully look at all the structures including blood flow, 4 chambered heart, brain, etc. At this stage, with a Level 2, they can probably get a very clear look and see whether there are additional markers for Down Syndrome. If so, you may also want to consider an amnio, as it is the only way to be sure if there are chromosomal problems. I don't mean to scare you, but knowledge is power. Once you have as much information as possible, you can go from there. Good luck.

Hi L., I do not know about the things you mentioned, but I will pray that your baby is well. Grandma Mary

Don't panic. Go see a specialist... and see what they have to say. Say a prayer or two or three and think positive thoughts. I'll say a prayer too.. but go see a good dr. and good luck

At my 20 week ultrasound, we were also told that our baby boy had a couple of "minor" markers for Down Syndrome. We were a little worried and did some research. The markers that we had were present in Down Syndrome babies but did not MEAN that the baby would have Downs. if that makes any sense. you are young and the markers that are present, also have other reasons for being there (i.e., fluid in kidneys is common in boys). Downs is much more of a concern for mothers 35 and over.

anyways, we had a follow up ultrasound when i was 25ish weeks along and the markers were gone or at least not a concern anymore. There is a blood test that you can take or some other types of invetro testing to determine if in fact the child does have Downs. But the big question is:
Are you going to love the baby any less?

I don't know anything about the bowels, but my son had fluid in one kidney at the 20 week ultrasound and then it was gone at the next one. My doctor said it can sometimes be from laying upside down or sideways for so long. The only reason we were concerned about this was because my sister had urine refluxing into her kidneys as a little girl and had to have surgery to repair it. When he was born, we took him for a VCUG and an ultrasound to make sure that the urine wasn't refluxing into his kidneys. The test is a little traumatic, but it turned out that everything was fine and he was 100% healthy.
So this in itself does not have to be troubling. Did you also get a nuchal fold measurement (the thickness of the neck)? This is a big indicator. If it's within normal range then you probably have nothing to worry about. You can also have your and your husband's blood tested by a genetic counselor to find out your risk of common birth defects. This might allay some of your concerns. Try not to worry so much. They do so many tests these days and sometimes the results may look scary but turn out to be something completely benign. I would not ask about an amnio unless your doctor suggests it. There are other non-invasive tests that can be done which will tell you if there is a greater risk. By the way, 1 in 100 means a 1% chance, which is still pretty tiny! That means there is a 99% chance that your baby is totally normal.

Hi L.,

My first son had echogenic bowels and he was born absolutey healthy and without Down Syndrome. If they're saying fluid in the kidneys is common in boys, I would try not to waste time worrying.

Best,
S.

L.,
I know nothing about the medical condition you describe, but I thought it might be comforting to hear that my brother and sister-in-law were told that their baby had three markers for Down and that he had a one in ten chance of being born with it.

They knew they were going to have their baby no matter what, and chose not to worry about something they had no control over. They would love him with or without DS.

He's now 2 years old (today's his birthday!) and a healthy, happy, wonderful boy.