Should I worry about echogenic bowel?
Should I worry about echogenic bowel?
Echogenic bowel may be caused by the baby swallowing some blood in the amniotic fluid. This is not harmful to the baby. Echogenic bowel can be associated with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a serious inherited disease which affects the lungs and digestion.
Can echogenic bowel mean nothing?
Echogenic bowel can be a normal finding on ultrasound and it is often associated with normal, healthy babies. However, there are several medical problems that can cause the bowel to appear bright on ultrasound.
Does echogenic bowel resolve?
In a low-risk population, echogenic bowel usually resolves without neonatal sequelae. Even when persistent into the third trimester, echogenic bowel does not uniformly herald an abnormal outcome.
How long does echogenic bowel last?
Studies have also demonstrated the development of echogenic bowel following invasive procedures such as intrauterine fetal transfusions, secondary to fetal swallowing of blood from the amniotic cavity. It has been demonstrated that this finding may persist for 2–4 weeks following intrauterine transfusion.
What does echogenic mean in ultrasound?
Echogenicity. Echogenicity of the tissue refers to the ability to reflect or transmit US waves in the context of surrounding tissues. [7–9] Whenever there is an interface of structures with different echogenicities, a visible difference in contrast will be apparent on the screen.
What is the risk of trisomy 21?
Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is the most commonly recognized genetic cause of mental retardation. The risk of trisomy 21 is directly related to maternal age. All forms of prenatal testing for Down syndrome must be voluntary.
What is echogenic bowel in pregnancy?
Echogenic bowel is an ultrasound finding where the fetal intestines appear brighter than expected. This finding can be seen in 0.2 -1.4% of all pregnancies. How is echogenic bowel detected? Echogenic bowel can be detected by prenatal ultrasound, usually around 20 weeks of pregnancy at the time of the anatomy ultrasound.
When is third-trimester ultrasound indicated for echogenic bowel syndrome?
Third-trimester ultrasound for the evaluation of growth and appearance of bowel among fetuses with isolated echogenic bowel is therefore recommended.
What is the prognosis of isolated echogenic bowel?
Although isolated echogenic bowel is associated with a sevenfold increased odds of intrauterine fetal demise, with a mean gestational age in the second trimester, the majority of fetuses with isolated echogenic bowel have normal outcomes. 58,64,70 The utility of antenatal fetal testing in this scenario is of unproven benefit.
Is antenatal antepartum testing useful in the management of echogenic bowel?
Antepartum testing: Although antenatal testing can be considered, its utility remains controversial in the management of isolated echogenic bowel unless fetal growth restriction or other indications develop.