Fetal Pyelectasis

[Scooby]

I just had my 2nd baby in July, a healthy baby girl, Thank God!!! But at my 20 wk routine sono they found she had fetal pyelectasis, or a dilated kidney. Didn't think it was a big deal until they told me to see a perinatologist. He also did a sono and said that this kidney issue could be a sign of Down's Syndrome. I never took those earlier blood tests to check for DS, so I was in complete shock and literally cried incessantly for many weeks and was worried sick for the entire 2nd half of my pregnancy. Turns out this is all too common kidney issue seen in sonos and I was only able to find 1 woman who actually wound up giving birth to a baby with Down's while having this issue....but she was also 40 yrs old, so that was a factor. Gentlemen, don't let the docs worry you and your wife should this ever happen to you. See this forum for more info:

 

http://www.babycrowd.com/forums/special_ne...al_Pyelectasis/

 

Other "soft" markers for Down's seen in sono's:

absence of nasal bone before 12 wks

cardiac defects

echogenic bowel (blood in bowel)

small head

smaller than usual femur

cysts on brain

thickened nuchal fold(back of neck)--which they can now measure at 12 wks to give you your odds

 

rarely do any of these turn out to be Downs, but it scares the Hell out of you when they tell you it increases your risks. Feel free to PM me, as I have become sort of an expert in these scary sosnogram findings.

[evil_gop_liars]

This is good info.

 

Our 20 week showed left and right renal pelvis dilated to 5mm. We just had a 26 week a few weeks ago and it showed only the right side was dilated to 4.95mm.

 

So yes it is little worrisome for us. The doctor said this rarely turns out to be anything of concern. And we have a lot of trust in our doctor.

Also our child is and IVF baby so worrying has become part of adventure. Thanks for the links, like I said good info.

[Chargerz]

First of all, I'm sorry you had such an awful experience.

 

These ultrasound markers have to be reported to the patient along with the statistics for the abnormalities that they may represent.

 

The genetic counselors and perinatologists I work with are especially sensitive to the negative emotions these discussions can create in patients. Every effort is made to put the test results in perspective and to ease patients through this very trying process.

 

It doesn't sound like your health care providers created that kind of situation for you.

[Scooby]

This is good info.

 

Our 20 week showed left and right renal pelvis dilated to 5mm. We just had a 26 week a few weeks ago and it showed only the right side was dilated to 4.95mm.

 

So yes it is little worrisome for us. The doctor said this rarely turns out to be anything of concern. And we have a lot of trust in our doctor.

Also our child is and IVF baby so worrying has become part of adventure. Thanks for the links, like I said good info.

 

congrats on the pregnancy!! I also went thru the fertility oddessey w/ my 1st boy--had an IUI. The 2nd baby just happened, no medical intervention!! She was the one w/ the rt kidney dilation, just about the same measurements as yours. It cleared up by 32 wks and she was born healthy, absolutely no kidney issues, and of course, no Down's.

[Scooby]

First of all, I'm sorry you had such an awful experience.

 

These ultrasound markers have to be reported to the patient along with the statistics for the abnormalities that they may represent.

 

The genetic counselors and perinatologists I work with are especially sensitive to the negative emotions these discussions can create in patients. Every effort is made to put the test results in perspective and to ease patients through this very trying process.

 

It doesn't sound like your health care providers created that kind of situation for you.

 

wish I visited your office...no my docs weren't too sympathetic, get an"F" for bed-side manner, too!

[fingfootball]

I remember crying with my wife when she got an amneosentisis when our second son had markers for downs. We later heard (dont know if it is true) that women over 30 often have these markers.

Her docs were not the mose sympathetic either.

[Clubfoothead]

I'll start this reply off by thanking everyone again. As long as I am alive, I won't be able to say that enough.

 

My daughter is 7 months old now. There was a soft marker for Downs on the first sonogram. They were wrong it was a birth mark on her neck. However, if it weren't for that soft marker, I don't know if she would be alive right now. Maybe, maybe not. As a result of the soft marker, they did the amneo to test for fatal/terminal genetic disorders (T18 and T21 I believe) which would automatically let us know about Downs. They were all negative but during the additional scrutiny they discovered she was going to be born with a condition called Tetraology of Fallot (hole in her heart, not the common kind that close on their own).

 

When she was born there were two pediatric cardiologists and like 9 nurses in the delivery room, fully prepared to perform open heart surgery by way of heart and lung bypass if necessary. It wasn't but she spent her first month alive in the NICU. But most significantly, they were prepared.

 

By way of update for those who are wondering, she had her first surgery in July (in the middle of a draft so she takes after her mother). About a 4 day span where it was touch and go on her making it and she spent another month and a half in the PICU but is home and doing well now. She has a secon and hopefully final surgery in February. And by the way, priests should really schedule visits with parents in those situations, not be stading by the bed waiting for the parents when the doctors finally let you in.

 

But I digress.

 

Don't be fooled by the best of all possible outcomes, it is not an endictment of the process, IMHO. The point of these tests is to have the best data availbe to make the most informed decisions. I'm glad everything worked out and wish the best of health for mom and baby. In our case too they were wrong about Downs but in my way of thinking, that false positive is a significant factor in her being alive.

[Scooby]

what a wonderful story, CFH--I'm glad things are looking up for you and our family now. I'm sure you were scared about all of this, cardiac defects are a red flag for trisomy 18 & 21, as are other markers. I heard that trisomy 18 is the bad one, child unlikely to live past their 1st B-day. Some people choose to terminate if this diagnosis shows up in amnio, sparing themselves and the child from alot of misery.

 

It seems my docs were so focused on relating down's possibility to me, that they forgot to tell me how infinitely small my chances were for having a baby w/ Downs. I am the ultimate worry wart. They did say I had a 1 in 250 chance, and I just knew I would be that one...silly, I know, but hindsight 20/20, coupled with crazy prego hormones just made me worry sick.

[CaP'N GRuNGe]

I'll start this reply off by thanking everyone again. As long as I am alive, I won't be able to say that enough.

 

My daughter is 7 months old now. There was a soft marker for Downs on the first sonogram. They were wrong it was a birth mark on her neck. However, if it weren't for that soft marker, I don't know if she would be alive right now. Maybe, maybe not. As a result of the soft marker, they did the amneo to test for fatal/terminal genetic disorders (T18 and T21 I believe) which would automatically let us know about Downs. They were all negative but during the additional scrutiny they discovered she was going to be born with a condition called Tetraology of Fallot (hole in her heart, not the common kind that close on their own).

 

When she was born there were two pediatric cardiologists and like 9 nurses in the delivery room, fully prepared to perform open heart surgery by way of heart and lung bypass if necessary. It wasn't but she spent her first month alive in the NICU. But most significantly, they were prepared.

 

By way of update for those who are wondering, she had her first surgery in July (in the middle of a draft so she takes after her mother). About a 4 day span where it was touch and go on her making it and she spent another month and a half in the PICU but is home and doing well now. She has a secon and hopefully final surgery in February. And by the way, priests should really schedule visits with parents in those situations, not be stading by the bed waiting for the parents when the doctors finally let you in.

 

But I digress.

 

Don't be fooled by the best of all possible outcomes, it is not an endictment of the process, IMHO. The point of these tests is to have the best data availbe to make the most informed decisions. I'm glad everything worked out and wish the best of health for mom and baby. In our case too they were wrong about Downs but in my way of thinking, that false positive is a significant factor in her being alive.

 

Here's to a successful February.