Anyone else had baby diagnosed with hydronephrosis at anomaly scan?

[truethat]

Just wondered if you could share you experiences please - we have this as a diagnosis and we're worried, of course, though doctors seem to recommend a monitor it and then wait and see approach.

also anyone with this have a girl? We don't know the sex but I read online this is a lot more likely in boys than girls.

We had it at the 20 week scan with a girl. She had a rather mild dilatation, and I have had two follow-up scans since then. One (at ca. 28 weeks) was with an excellent urologist who basically said that with the development of scanning technology it is possible to pick up lots of things in the foetus, the problem is there is not enough evidence to make any conclusive interpretation.

Apparently, hydronephrosis may disappear as the foetus develops, and even if it doesn't, it may cause no problems to the baby, and several years ago no one would have known the baby had it. These days, once a scan picks up an "abnormality", even a slight one, doctors need to do something about it, hence all the monitoring etc (which of course I am very happy about for the peace of mind), but overeager paediatricians may put the newborn baby through some invasive tests and give it antibiotics just to be on the safe side, which, according to our urologist, may be totally unnecessary.

Anyway, after subsequent scans I was told that it is rather borderline and they will just monitor her after birth.

What concerned me much more is that this is a weak marker for Down's. I was scanned at King's (which is supposed to be really good at foetal diagnostics), and the sonographer rather bluntly offered me an amnio there and then and started discussing termination. I was extremely distraught. I posted here and got some very reassuring responses both from mums whose children have hydronephrosis as well as some doctors. Apparently, some NHS trusts don't even recognise hydronephrosis as a DS marker. In any case, we did not have an amnio. I am 37+6 now, and I just hope she is healthy...

Hope all goes well with the rest of your pregnancy, and you have a lovely healthy baby!

Thank you Umnitsa - that is really helpful. The Downs thing worries me too but the doctor who scanne dus said as all the other markers seem okay she wouldn't change the probability we were given at 12 weeks (which was low). Wishing you all the best for your baby too. x

My daughter was diagnosed with bi-lateral hydronephrosis at my Anomoly scan which showed that both Kidneys were affected (the right more than the left but still significant). I was monitored for the rest of my pregnancy with regular scans. We had a normal delivery and she had a scan when she was 4 days old (i.e. after she had begun feeding and her kidneys had begun their work)...it still showed significant enlargement but we were told that she would have another scan in a few weeks. At 8 weeks she had both an utltrasound and Renogram (CT scan). These showed that the problem was not improving although at the time she was well. We were referred to a specialist surgeon who performed a bi-lateral pyleoplasty (he cut out the section of ureter on both sides which was causing the obstruction). This operaation took place when my LO was only 9 weeks old and whilst it was traumatic at the time she recovered quickly and is now approaching her 1st birthday, a happy and healthy little girl. She had a 2nd op at 17 weeks to remove stents which had been put in place while her ureters healed but this was a quick one and we were in and out in a day.
She is still on antibiotics to prevent kidney infection and she will probably be on these for at least the next 6 months...but this is a small price to pay for a healthy baby!