Any ultrasound techs in the house? Echogenic bowel???

[Jas12]

I am nearly 38 weeks pregnant and had an ultrasound earlier this week.

2 things were detected that had me freaking out a bit. One was fetal gallstones and the other was an Echogenic bowel.
I met with a pedi right after the ultrasound regarding a different issue (baby has only one kidney and he was looking at the most recent images) and since the tech had told me about the gallstones during the scan i brought it up with the pedi b/c i was meeting with him anyway. He consulted with a radioologist and he said this is a typcial finding in the 3rd trimester (called it ''sludge'' from the gallbladder) and assured me that it would probably just vanish once the kid was ''up and running'' outside the womb.
When i got home i was reading my scan report and it mentioned the echogenic bowel. The tech did not tell me about this during the scan and i don''t think the pedi noticed either since we were discussing another topic. I googled and of course got all the scary stuff about it being a marker for Downs and Cystic Fibrosis as well as other issues. Most of the info i came across pertains to findings in the 2nd trimester and that this finding is more common in the 3rd trimester and is actually harmless meconium or swallowed blood?
I am just not sure what to think or if i am interpreting the info right. and i guess iam looking for piece of mind before i meet with my midwife again on monday.

I am also worried b/c this child has had many ultrasound findings. A choroid plexus cyst at 18 weeks (vanished by 23 weeks) solitary kidney and now the gallstones and the echogenic bowel. I am worried it all points to some yet detected health issues

 

[somethingshiny]

Jas~ I''m sorry you''ve had another questionable finding. I''ve never heard of it and while I was googling around, I came up with some contradictory info regarding whether it was a solid marker for CF or Downs or if it was a Normal. I would call the pedi and get his/her opinion. I hope you can get an answer before the weekend.

Lots of *******dust********* and prayers for you and your LO!

 

[ChinaCat]

Jas- Absolutely no medical advice from me, but just wanted to say sorry this pregnancy has been so full of the unknown for you. Thinking of you and hope you get answers soon.

 

[AllieLuv83]

I am sorry to hear that you are getting this information now. Did you have a first trimester screening done? How did the numbers look at that point? I was under the impression that the echogenic bowel was just a soft marker for down''s if you numbers came back good from the first trimester screening I would not really be worried.

 

[Jas12]

thanks SS and CC

i am trying not to worry b/c i know regardless of what comes our way (if anything), i will just deal with it. Even if i knew of a major health issue at the time of an anmio (which i did not have) i would not abort or anything, so it's more just the anxious wait that come along with awaiting birth, troubled by all these "things" that i have no clue as to what, if anything, they point to.

I am not really liking technology right now. That scan didn't do anything but make me worry about things that can't be changed. The pedi summed it up by saying that technology is growing quicker than our ability to interpret the results.
I think this will have to be addressed by health care providers in the near future.

ETA--just saw your post allie. No screening for me (your mean amio right?) just regular scans at 12 weeks and 19 weeks. Followed by one at 22 and 23 weeks. Neither the gallstones or the echogenic bowel were noted at that time so i *think* that is a good thing. Makes me think the scan is just picking up matter that is common before a baby is born (like meconium)
And yes, i think it is jsut a soft marker for downs. It's the combo of markers that stands out to me

 

[stepcutgirl]

Ultrasound tech here. With regard to the gallbladder that's going to be a wait and see. It could clear right up on its own as long as it really was sludge and not stones. With regard to the bowel, most likely the baby swallowed some muconium. Downs syndrome is easier to figure out from other markers include extremity size, heart enlargement, how far apart the eyes are, etc than by having echogenic bowel. I hope that helps.

ETA-Are they certain this baby only has one kidney? Have you been to a perinatology ultrasound center? I ask because often the second kidney is in the pelvis and harder to identify.

 

[Jas12]

Stepcutgirl--Thanks so much! The report says gallstones, but the one tech said it was ''sludge'' so i guess like you said, wait and see!
As for the kidney, i''ve had several ultrasounds and there is no artery going to that part of the body where the kidney should be. No one said anything about it being in the pelvis, but i remember them looking for that.
I go to see a pedi after the birth for an ultrasound on the baby. So maybe that will clear things up?

 

[pancake]

Can you talk to your obstetrician? They should be able to better quantify the risk for you. Given that you are at term now it is unlikely that you can get any more certainty before you deliver. I don''t think that talking to a paediatrician or neonatologist will change anything either, unless there is further clinical information that you haven''t described here.

Good luck - I have my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

No medical advice, just wanted to give you a hug! How stressful!

 

[swimmer]

Just hugs to you Jas, huge ones. Sometimes there is just too much information with the u/s Stepcut girl is the expert here, but we were also told that there was only one kidney...and then eventually there were two! not that it is a big deal to just have one, but just that sometimes even the best perinatologists and folks are a bit off. Hoping that all goes great for you and that this last bit is peaceful for you and all of your family. hugs all around

 

[KimberlyH]

jas, i just wanted to offer some support and good thoughts to you and your family.

i had gd, which means lots of ultrasounds/ monitoring at the end of my pregnancy. during the first they determined i had low amniotic fluid and we were handed a two column list of "suboptimal" baby body parts.i saw it briefly and then my husband hid it from me as he felt the stress of those added fears paired with what i was already feeling because of the fluid problems would have been too much for me to handle. the last weeks of pregnancy were quite scary.

all that to say, i understand how hard this is and i''m so sorry. you seem like such a great mom and i''m sure you''ll be the perfect parent for this baby, whomever he or she is and whatever challenges you may face.

 

[lili]

Jas12
No advice, but just want to offer support and hugs.
I hope those issues vanish by the time baby comes out (and hoping that this one will come out sooner than Mr. Co there

And

for your maternity leave!
Wow....another year at home. Nice.
Does that also include leave from the other gov. job that you took on?

 

[Jas12]

Tacori, swimmer, Lili, Kim--thanks for the support, really means a lot.

pancake--i haven''t met with an OB, according to the pedi., none of these issues will present an immediate problem--if any problem at all, they will just need to be monitored post-birth . the good news is my fluids, baby movements, HR, cord BP and size all look good....so i am hoping for the best

kimberly--i wish i didn''t know. nothing can be done now but wait and see. iam still trying to enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy, it''s hard like you said.

lili--yes, i am off for the year. the curriculum material i was writing has been published and i am free for the year !

 

[pancake]

Wishing you all the best, Jas - not long now!

 

[KimberlyH]

when jane was born i was desperate to see her body, particularly her right arm and fingers because those things were what i saw on the list that i remembered. strange feeling.

i understand not wanting to know. hang in there, jas.

 

[Bliss]

Sending you thoughts and prayers for a healthy baby!

 

[snlee]

Jas, no medical advice but just wanted to give you a hug. I''m sorry this pregnancy has been so stressful. Sending you lots of good thoughts. I hope you have a healthy baby in a few weeks.

 

[jas]

More hugs from me!!! Wow...information overload, huh? Hang in there. You''re in my thoughts.