Pyelectasis

My little brother (who isn't so little, he's 18!) is a Downs kid and because that runs in my family, we decided to see a genetic counselor. I wanted to do the prenatal screening program, which includes blood work and a nuchal translucency ultrasound at around 13 weeks. From the screening, the results looked really good: 1/31,000 chance of Down syndrome. Negative for anencephaly, open spina bifida and abdominal wall defects. Waiting for these results were a tad scary because I see babies/kids at work with these defects everyday. 

At 19 weeks, I had the big ultrasound where they look at the entire anatomy of the baby. But I had a crappy technologist who didn't talk to me as she scanned. "Let me get all the information and pictures I need for the doctor first. Then I will show you pictures of the baby." I laid there for half an hour as she scanned me in silence, with the screen facing away from me. 

It was not until I met with the genetic counselor 3 weeks after did I get to see a better look at what images the US tech took. Everything looked normal EXCEPT for baby James' right kidney. The dilation of the renal pelvis measured higher than normal which is considered pyelectasis. What is pyelectasis? "In 2-3% of all pregnancies, urine, made by the kidneys, does not drain into the bladder as it normally does. Pyelectasis occurs more frequently in boys than girls." Pyelectasis may also be associated with an increased risk for Down Syndrome, which is why the genetic counselor called me in to for a talk. She reassured me that based on my results from the screening and my age, I shouldn't worry about Down Syndrome. That the pyelectasis  is a very small marker. Even the nurse practitioner I met for the monthly checkups didn't appear worried about his kidney. 

What happens next? In most cases, the measurement of the fluid level in the kidney goes down. "He will grow into it." But I have to get a follow up ultrasound at 28 weeks to check the size of James' renal pelvis. 

What if the pyelectasis does not resolve at the next ultrasound? "In 10-27% of cases the fluid level in the kidney increased to 1 cm or greater, indicates hydronephrosis. Which means there is a dilation of the kidney because the urine is not draining properly. 

Pray for us, that James' kidney is normal! My 28 week ultrasound is the 2nd week of January, which seems so far away!

After all of this medical jargon, here is the latest picture of James growing!:

25 weeks!

Next post: My DIY projects. Decorating the baby room! Possibly new scrapbook pages.