Echogenic bowel at 20 week scan

[sarahc336]

Hey guys, just wondering if anyone else on here has had this picked up at the 20 week scan. They said it's a high chance it's been a bleed that I haven't been aware of and the babies drank it, but hit worried. I had the nhs combined screening test at 12 weeks and my result was low risk but I know it can be a marker for abnormalities and cf. trying not to panic but they've just left me with a you'll get a phone call from a consultant probably next week just feeling a bit down about it all now, thanks for any help or experience you can offer me xx

We had this. Picked up at 20 week scan, so had monthly scans (maybe more, I can't remember!) until I was 36 weeks when it seemed to disappear and they signed me off. I wanted a home birth, and the docs only stipulation was that because this had been picked up the Day 1 check up would have to be done by a doctor in the hospital not a midwife.

My nearly 2 year old is currently sat on my lap, perfectly fine. I appreciate this is just one example but hopefully it gives you some reassurance.

(As an aside at that incredibly important Day 1 check up they insisted we had to go into the hospital for, the doctor missed that she has a double toe. Reassuring!)

Thank you, I'm generally getting the feeling that like you most cases are nothing to worry about and I'm hoping our case is the same, got a follow up scan in a weeks time so they can look into it in more detail then I think thank you xx

It's just not nice when your scans finishing and the lady does right everything is fine, here's your photo but the bowels and kidneys look too bright so you'll need to see the consultant and then your out the room and shown the exit and obviously at the min no partners can attend scans, just a bit of a shock as she seemed to be talking like everything was fine xx

No, it's a scary moment. But, it's more than likely a precaution, and try and enjoy your extra scans as more chances to see your baby before it arrives 😊

Just wanted to update this thread in case anyone like me ends up searching the forums for stories of this condition but loads are left with no update.
I was seen by the fetal medicine team near me a week after my 20 week scan and the bowel was only slightly white by then and then by two weeks later it had returned to normal so we suspect it was that they'd drank some blood. They also said that in some cases if the woman is quite slim/petite organs can seem whiter than they would be as the ultra sound machines are so advanced these days. So seems to be one of those soft markers that can indicate problems but can also be totally harmless. Hope this helps anyone else in my situation in the future X