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2nd Trimester
Baby has slightly dilated kidney
Hey everyone! 
So we had our 21 week ultrasound last week and foundout were having a boy!!! Everything looked good, except at the end of the appointment the dr says, "oh BTW he has a slightly dilated kidney...nothing to worry about, we'll just keep an eye on it." I have been freaking out ever since, reading on the internet that it could be linked to down syndrome..and he could possibly need surgery if the kidney doesnt resolve on its own =/ Anyone else have any comforting tips or have been through this before?
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Re: Baby has slightly dilated kidney
When I was pregnant with my DD, doc found that she had a slightly dilated kidney at my 20 week u/s. I had to go to a high risk doctor every 4 weeks after that until 32 weeks or so for follow up ultrasounds. She has something called "hyrdronephrosis" but a very mild case and it has only gotten better since she was born. She had to go see a pediatric urologist a few times after she was born but her kidney is functioning great. The last time we went was last summer and we go back again this summer for another ultrasound. From what I have researched, many children have this. She definitely DOES NOT have downs or any healthy problems at all. Doc just makes me watch what she eats/drinks. He also does not want me to start potty training her until she is completely ready because it could increase the risk of kidney problems. I also have to get her checked every few months for uti's because there is an increased risk with her having hydronephrosis.
I'm not sure what is going on with your little guy but I wish you all the best. If you ever want to e-mail me, my e-mail is Roachie77@aol.com. We went through some pretty scary times with the tests that she had to have done, so I am more than willing to chat if you want to. Good luck!!!
We had a similar situation at the 18 week u/s, but both kidneys were slightly dilated. The dr. said it wasn't too much to be concerned about and when there is only 1 kidney, it usually clears up in about 80% of the cases. Since we had 2, she wanted to send us for additional ultrasounds at a specialist. So we went to a nearby hospital and had another ultrasound done at 23 weeks and one kidney had already cleared up, but the other is still only dilated slightly.
We will have it checked again next month (at 32 weeks) and if the kidney is still dilated, it will just remain that way after birth. They will ultrasound the baby 4-6 weeks after its born to determine if kidney surgery is needed to correct the problem, but the specialist dr. told me that this rarely happens. She said they commonly see it not resolved at the 32 week ultrasound, but the body will usually correct itself after the baby is born.
That really put me at ease, so I hope that you experience a similar situation and it clears up soon!
DS is almost 15 months. Our last follow up with urology was in February. At that time, his bilateral hydronephrosis (dilated kidney) was down to just one.
So, the right resolved completely on its own, and the left is right behind it.
In more than 90% of cases, the dilation resolves on its own. If it's not resolved, there may be some diagnostic testing done after birth, like a VCUG. But, it's likely to just be monitored with ultrasound until it resolves on its own.
If there were no other markers for DS, I wouldn't worry.
I too have the same issue. I spoke w/ my dr. at lengths about it. He and the MFM Dr. performing the ultrasound were not concerned. I specifically asked if this increased my risk of having a child w/ downs syndrome and he said no, as there was no other DS markers found on the ultrasound or in my blood workup. We decided prior to the ultrasound not to find out the sex of the baby, so when I spoke w/ my Doc about the kidney issue he replied "well its a more prominent finding in one specific sex". Which through my internet research I have found that it is more likely to happen w/ boys. He, the doc, had the same issue w/ one of his sons and it resolved itself prior to birth. I'm scheduled for another ultrasound at 31 weeks, so in about a month and a half, to re-evaluate the kidney. Don't get me wrong, this really upset me, but giving that my Doc was not concerned and he himself had went through it with his child made me feel a little more at ease.
Hope this info helps.