Echogenic bowel.and renal dilation

[Scarednewmum2be]

Hi ladies, following our 20 weeks scan showing renal dilation and our 28 week scan showing the kidney was still dilated we were referred to a fetal specialist. Had our appointment on Monday with consultant at fetal unit and they said in relation to the dilation that it will just mean more follow up, scans when born and also antibiotics to prevent infection. However now there's an additional worry as the consultant said they the bowel is "bright", also known as echogenic bowel and can be sign of a viral infection or that I had an internal bleed early in pregnancy which wasn't detected and that this has been ingested by the baby and will need to work its way out but won't cause any problems. Also have been tested for CMV. However it can also be a sign of cystic fibrosis. Me and hubby had to have bloods done to see if we are carriers. They said we both have to be carriers for the baby to be a carrier and that even if the baby is a carrier it doesn't mean they'll have cystic fibrosis, there is a 1 in 4 chance. It's still an awful worry though and because of the echogenic bowel along with the right kidney being slightly dilated that this is a soft marker for downs syndrome. They said that every pregnancy has a 1% chance but this increases the risk to 2% which I know isn't a major jump but still so worrying. I've wanted to cry since leaving the hospital but me and hubby promised we would stay positive. Any reassurances would be greatly appreciated. This has been an awful couple of days 😢

Can anyone please offer some reassurances? I'm out of my mind with worry 😢

At one of my last scans with DD, when finishing the midwife commented on her echogenic bowel. But told me not to worry - which of course I did. She is perfect. It was just one of those things.

Thanks so much for your message of reassurance Izza. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond as the echogenic bowel along with the dilated kidney, and the mention of these being soft markers for DS is really freaking me out.

Hi ladies, just an update in case anyone is following this thread. We were back at the fetal medicine unit again today. Feeling more positive today than the last day. Right kidney more dilated than left one but left has done a lot of work to correct itself and the consultant said the right kidney may well resolve before birth and if not may need more follow up. Will definitely be started on a antibiotic after birth to prevent kidney infection and will be scanned for follow up. The bowel is still bright but he said it's mild echogenic bowel and didn't seem too concerned about it. This guy had a much better way with him so asked about the soft markers and said this had us very worried, he just said he couldn't say 100% that everything would be ok but that he wouldn't say that to any woman as until a baby is born and all has been checked they can't be 100% sure but said the outlook is good. He also wrote in his notes that he had counselled us that the prognosis is good. Hoping that he wouldn't have said that to us or wrote it in his notes unless he felt confident enough that all might be ok. He did say that usually it will be either the renal pelvis dilation or echogenic bowel rather than the two together but trying not to worry too much by this comment. Feeling hopeful that the odds are in our favour but up again in 4 weeks time for one more scan. Keeping everything crossed. As always, any reassurances would be so welcome as this is still such a worrying time.

So glad to hear a positive update. I hope this bumps you for people with advice!

Thanks so much Barry, really appreciate that and your good wishes. Means a lot to us.

Hi have you had the results back about the CMV test? My son came back with a positive for this and also had echogenic bowel on the scans x

Hi OP.

I had what was basically a anomaly scan at 16 weeks in the fetal medicine unit with my eldest because when I had the quad test (couldn't have the usual 12 week nuchal one) one of my hormone levels was elevated which caused concern.

This showed my baby had an echogenic bowel. No kidney or other issues though.

We were tested for CF (neither of us were carriers) I was tested for CMV (negative) and I was scanned again at 20 weeks as normal. It was still 'bright' but everything other than that looked normal so I was just sent for regular scans throughout pregnancy. There were concerns that baby could be small, apparently this coupled with the high hormone thing is had could be an indication for growth issues.

It stayed bright throughout. My daughter was born (one day early at 8lb 9oz so certainly not small!) with no health complications and is now a healthy three year old.

Good luck. Try not to worry, and stay off Dr Google!

Thanks for your message Laublake. Yes I was tested for CMV but I came back negative. Still waiting on CF results which could be another few weeks as had blood test two weeks ago but was told results can take up to 5 weeks. A long wait but hopefully will have a good result xx

Thanks for your message motheroftinydragons. It's very reassuring to hear that even though the bowel remained bright all was ok. They have said it's mild brightness both times they checked it and so I'm hoping it won't get any brighter. All growth scans so far have been good and baby is growing at the rate he/she should be. I really am going to try and avoid Dr.Google and focus on the odds being in our favour xx

Just got a call today from the fetal medicine unit to confirm the bloods testing for cystic fibrosis came back as negative. Neither me or hubby are carriers 😁 such a relief. Just hoping now that the small risk for down syndrome has the same positive outcome and that baby will be healthy without any abnormalities 🙏 xx

That’s really good news! One hurdle over with. I know it’s all a worry, but try as hard as possible to keep positive X

Thanks for your message @Rosiesandposies1

Yeah it was a big relief to get that call. Trying really hard to stay positive about the other risk but have good days and bad days ☹️ yesterday being a bad day when I spent too much time reading articles on soft markers. Got myself all upset. I need to think about the good outcomes I've read about and focus on them, as there are a lot of them. I'm such a worrier that I keep thinking the worst xx

@Scarednewmum2be I had this at my 20 week scan last year dd is now 5 months old and perfect.

It was horrendous at the time and was a real cloud over my pregnancy. I had the torch screening and it was all negative. I was scanned at 28,36 and 39 weeks to check the growth which was all ok.
The consultant said it was just one of those things but didn’t do anything to stop me worrying for 20 weeks.
I have since met 2 ladies who also had this and have had babies with no issues I had never heard of it until last year.
I hope everything is ok I know what a worry this is x

@Wineandchoccy

Thanks for your post. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know of your experience. I've sent you a PM, hope.yiu don't mind xx

Hello, just read your thread and wanted to say that you're not alone, my baby also has an echogenic bowel. I have had all same tests as you and all came back fine including an amniocentesis. My babies problems are due to placental issues causing baby to be very small.. She's also got a single umbilical artery and they could only find the right kidney, they've found what they think is the left kidney now but it is near the bladder so are unsure if it's a kidney or not, they've organised for the baby to have a scan when she's born to check for the kidneys and I'm having 2 scans a week now but that's due to the other issues, the whole echogenic bowel doesn't seem to be of a worry to them now that the results came back all okay so try not to worry although I know it's hard not to..

Thanks for your message @newbabyyy2019

It's so scary isn't it? ☹️ I'm glad I'm not alone and have such lovely reassuring messages from the ladies on here that I'm praying all will be ok with both our babies. Keep me posted on your little one and I will also xx

Hello
Sorry you’re going through this.
I have twins who are 9 now so I’m sure things have moved on since I was pregnant but I also had this with them. One of them showed echogenic bowel at the 20 week scan and due to it being a soft marker for DS it had us really worried. We were referred to fetal medicine and more scans and eventually booked in for amnio.
I was so stressed out. When I got there for the amnio the consultant did another scan and basically threw me out saying we didn’t need the amnio.
After that I tried to forget about it and when you’re expecting twins you have loads of scans anyway so it was kept under review.
Babies were both perfect 🙏 please try not to worry and try to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

Thank you @mammmamia for your message. I really do get such reassurances from them. I'm definitely hearing a lot more positive than I am negative. I'm hoping the technology now is just so advanced that a lot gets picked up. They have said at both visits to fetal medicine that it's only mildly bright so hoping it will end up being nothing and that kidney will have improved some by next scan on Monday. I'll update here how it goes. Thanks again to you all of you 💕 xx

Hi ladies, all went well at scan today thank God. When we've been seen before both kidneys have been dilated but one more so than the other. Today the left kidney is completely normal and it's just the right that is still dilated but he said the outlook is very good and that baby will be scanned once born to check kidney but he said the outlook is very positive . The bowel is no longer echogenic, it's completely normal now and he doesn't want to see us again. Feeling so much more positive 😊 xx

That's really good news! Hopefully the baby's scan comes back all fine once they're born, must be a huge weight off your shoulders!

@newbabyyy2019 Thanks for your message. Yes it's such a huge relief. Feeling so much more positive now that all will be ok and hoping for the same for your little one xx

@Scarednewmum2be yeah what fantastic news I hope you can try and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy x

@Wineandchoccy Feeling so relieved and so much more positive. Most of what I've read about renal dilation has said that it usually resolves before birth and if not then post natally but is easily treated. I had also been in touch with the lovely people at ARC ( antenatal results and choices) who have said it's all so positive and that renal dilation on its own would not be classed as a significant marker. Definitely going to now try and enjoy the rest of my pregnancy 😊 thanks for all your support xx

Hi,

My son had this dilated renal pelvis, the same as you it showed up at 20 wk scan and I was referred to a consultant and had regular monitoring, both kidneys were dilated and one much more than the other. Anyway it didn't resolve itself and he had to stay in hospital for about a week, he was given antibiotics to take daily, it did clear up once he got to about a year old.

He's 16 now 6ft 3 and 15 stone lol perfectly fit and healthy.

@CamdenTownie thanks for your reassuring message. I've read so many positive posts about renal pelvis dilation that I'm hoping our little one will have the same positive outcome 🙏 xx