Hey everyone- I'll be 31 weeks tomorrow. Here is the background to my question:
Aug. 21: I had my 18 week scan. Everything was normal except for the stomach- the u/s report recommended "revisualization of the baby's stomach is recommended".
Oct. 23 second u/s: this time, the report came back reading "mildly prominent stomach...follow up with level 2 u/s is recommended."
My level 2 u/s is tomorrow. Well, last night, I had a routine check-up with my doc and he used the term "echogenic" findings in the stomach. In doing some research, it seems as though this may be linked to cystic fibrosis or downs. I didn't have the triple screen test done (i'm 29, healthly and DH and I don't have a family history - that we know of- of either of these diseases)- although the test results wouldn't have changed anything (I would keep the baby no matter what!), I still feel an incredible amount of guilt should something be wrong with my little girl.
Have any of you mommy's been told your baby has an echogenic bowel or echogenic stomach and your baby turned out healthy? What are the chances this could be downs or cystic fibrosis?
Thanks for your answers...
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
I don't know anybody who has had this, but I saw nobody was answering your question yet (except for a spammer, grr) so I tried to do some research for you.
Apparently this is pretty common actually, affecting one out of a hundred pregnancies. Quote: "In the majority of cases, there is no
significance to this finding." Another quote: "In the vast majority of cases, the fetus (including the bowel) is normal. However, various physiologic processes associated with disparate pathologic conditions can also cause the bowel to appear echogenic." It's been described as a possible marker for some pretty serious conditions, like Down's and Cystic Fybrosis, etc. But this is only the case in about a third of cases where there *definitely is* an echogenic bowel. In fact, a lot of people don't consider this to be a reliable marker at all. And sometimes, like I mentioned, absolutely nothing is wrong.
The chances of something seriously wrong happening are there, but I think they are slimmer than you think.
I'm really sorry you are going through this, you are in my prayers. Know that this is NOT YOUR FAULT. I was born with a birth defect and I can promise you it wasn't my mom's fault, and I am happy and healthy today. Wishing you and your baby girl the best. (I'm having a girl too.)
I had bleeding (wasn't excessive but definitely noticeable) when I was 12 weeks with my twins and at my 18 week scan they found the echogenic bowels. Both twins had it. At my next scan the echogenic bowels had resolved. I was told they were most likely caused by the bleeding I had experienced earlier in the pregnancy. The baby can swallow some of the blood causing the bowels to appear brighter (or echogenic) on the ultrasound. I chose not to do any genetic or other screening tests besides the ultrasounds. My babies were born perfectly healthy and have no problems. Best of luck and I hope everything turns out okay for you!
Echogenic Foci In Fetal Stomach