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Original poster

20 wk scan - dilated kidneys?

11 replies

muddychipmunk · 24/03/2010 09:23

Hey

Just wondering if anyone has been told that their baby has dilated kidneys at their 20 wk scan?

I wasn't told as such - just told I needed a re scan cos they couldn't see the baby's head - but in my notes it says that the heart and kidneys need to be rescanned cos the kidneys are dilated.

Just wondering if anyone knows what this could be?

Kinda slightly freaking out - mainly cos they didn't say anything, just said one thing and recorded another. Am I wrong to want to know what it might mean?

Thank you...

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Neeko · 24/03/2010 09:41

My baby has slight renal pelvic dilation on the left kidney. They rescanned me at 32 weeks as this is a problem that often corrects itself, but ours hasn't. I'm 40+1 today and have ben told they'll rescan the baby once he/she is born. Baby may need low dose antibiotics and monitoring and, if the problem doesn't correct itself, then eventually an op.

Try not to worry. It is a common problem - seen in 1 in 100 20 wk scans - and the importnat thing is that they are monitoring it. Look after yourself.

HTH

Original poster
muddychipmunk · 24/03/2010 09:54

Neeko - yes it does help! Thank you...

I hope everything goes well for you in the next few days!

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ReneRusso · 24/03/2010 10:15

This happened to me too, both kidneys dilated at 20 week scan. It was all fine by 26 week scan. I don't think it's too sinister, so try not to worry, easy to say I know. How long til your next scan?

Original poster
muddychipmunk · 24/03/2010 10:33

Thank you Rene. Its making me feel so much better that someone knows what its all about!

I'm not sure when my next scan will be - I'm in the process of changing hospitals.

This is the second time that I've been really upset by the lack of communication at the old hospital. While I'm slightly freaked to find out that the baby has dilated kidneys, I'm trying not to panic, and in fact I'm as upset that it wasn't explained to me at all and I read about it in my notes afterwards. I have no idea if this is unreasonable or not - it just seems to me that a two sentence explanation could have saved me a nasty jolt and tearful bus journey when I read the notes.

I know that its also my responsibility to ask questions to get info but I have and was told that there was nothing to worry about which isn't quite the same as explaining what is actually happening.

Am I wrong? Were any of you actually told about this or is it normal to discover this sort of thing in the file? I'm not expecting hushed darkened room with a consultant holding my hand - just a word explaining what she's writing down and what could / might / will happen...

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racmac · 24/03/2010 10:46

My DS had this at 20 week scan - i was recalled for regular scans throughout pregnancy - it didnt change - he had dilation throughout.

When he was born he was scanned again and it was still there so he was placed on low course of antibiotics and would have been on them till he was 2.

The reasoning being is that it the kidneys are dilated then they are more at risk of water infections - leading to kidney infections and worse case undetected this becomes a serious problem. The antibiotics prevent a water infection and if he does get one then baby has to be seen immediately by GP and they take it very seriously.

As it was DS was scanned again a few months later and the dilation had gone so he was taken off the antibiotics

I was told straight away at the scan that there was dilation and she explained to me briefly what it meant - i also had an appointment with Paed not long after he was born.

I think its quite common and most of the time it rectifies itself so dont panic!

ReneRusso · 24/03/2010 11:20

I had it explained straight away by the ultrasound operator and then again shortly afterwards at my next antenatal appointment. I agree it's a bit shoddy to not tell you exactly what they've found. Perhaps it was very minor dilation and they didn't want to worry you, but it's more worrying to just see things in your notes without explanation isn't it? Hope you have a better experience at the other hospital.

sarahpgno2 · 24/03/2010 19:56

hello,

i tought id share my experience of this with you.

like you my baby boy was diagnosed in the womb at 20 weeks with a dialated kidney, basically a little pocket of fluid being retained inside the kidney, i was sanned regulary throughout rest of pg, and it didnt dissapear, i know its very distressing, but please dont panic, when my lo was born he was under the care of a peadiatrician and was given low dose trimethoprim, to help prevent water infections, he never did have a water infection. eventually after periodical scans, we observed that the "swelling" was not going down, and they decided to operate, as you could imagine, i was besides myself!!!, he was operated on at just short of a year old, stayed in hospital for a few days, and then came home, still on the antibiotics, eventually after another few rescans, the surgery was deemed a sucess! and now all that is left is memories, not for our lo, but for us, i am told, and im sure you will be that surgery is only required very rarely, but now you know that even if they do have to do an operation, it will be very straight forward, and nothing too scary. i wish you all the best, and i hope i have given you a little more info on a possible outcome.

best wishes for you all x

nomorebooze · 25/03/2010 14:57

hi positive storie here! i too had regular appointments to be scanned due to dilated kidneys on my little girl! these were still dilated the week before i gave birth. she was scanned the day after being born and they had self rectified. try not to worry yourself sick like me, it may sort itself out. x

Original poster
muddychipmunk · 25/03/2010 15:43

Thank you all so much! You know when you 'know' that you are over reacting but that over reaction also seems perfectly appropriate?

I just wanted to know what it was, and what could happen - it was the not knowing which was tipping me over the edge. If you know what you have to take in your stride, you can take it in your stride, IYSWIM...

I'd give each one of you a big hug if I could cos you've told me more than the sonographer, midwife and nurse practitioner all put together have told me.

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Emsie84 · 25/03/2010 19:50

Hey my DS had this and at the time I was terrified what it would mean for him. I was rescanned at 32 weeks and it was still there. When my DS was born he didn't pass urine for 3 days (not sure of that was related). He was scanned again at 6 weeks old and all was fine.

HTH

Meganlillymai · 08/04/2013 14:42

YES!

At my 20 week scan they told me my daughter had dialed kidneys in both and they would return to normal size maybe after she was born, they didn't one was worse then the other, now my daughters 21 months old and still had them. It's not life threatening just in some cases they can get bad water infections. Thankfully my child hasn't. I asked to have the op as I'm constantly at the hospital as she needs all sorts of different scans but they said the op isn't needed. Don't panick. I panicked so much wondering what was going to happen but if they are still swollen near the end of ur pregnancy they will scan baby 2 days after he/she is born and put straight onto antibiotics (fight infection) my girl doesn't stop weeing she even weed on the midwife when she was born so dont worry ur little one will be fine, x

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