What to do if the fetus has hydronephrosis during pregnancy

During pregnancy, if the fetus has hydronephrosis, first of all, as a mother, don't worry too much. Check in time and understand the specific cause. Hydronephrosis in the fetus may be related to genetic factors or congenital poor development of the fetus. At this time, it depends on the specific harm of hydronephrosis to the fetus. If there is no harm, you can continue the pregnancy. If the harm is relatively large, you can only induce labor as soon as possible.

What to do if your child has hydronephrosis during pregnancy

So what should we do if fetal hydronephrosis occurs? What measures should we take? For children with mild simple hydronephrosis, the symptoms will disappear as the environment changes or improve with treatment after birth. For a small number of infants with symptoms after birth, such as abdominal masses, urinary tract infections, or babies repeatedly complaining of abdominal pain, surgical treatment should be performed as soon as possible. According to current medical standards, surgery can be performed safely in the neonatal period.

Therefore, when fluid accumulation is discovered, do not jump to conclusions. Instead, you should consider a comprehensive approach based on factors such as the gestational age of the fetus, changes in the amount of fluid accumulation, the location and extent of the fluid accumulation, whether there are fetal chromosomal abnormalities or other malformations, and the size of the fetus to determine the consequences of fetal hydronephrosis and ultimately take appropriate measures. For those with an effusion volume of less than 10 mm, if the effusion is found to gradually decrease, disappear or remain unchanged during regular follow-up, it is considered a normal variation and will have no obvious effect on the baby's future development, and the pregnancy can continue.

For patients with effusion ranging from 10 to 14 mm, other malformations and chromosomal abnormalities should be ruled out first. If not, the pregnancy can continue, and regular ultrasound examinations must be performed every 2 weeks to observe changes in the amount of fluid accumulation. If the amount of effusion increases or effusion occurs in multiple locations, it should be regarded as progression of the disease; otherwise it should be regarded as improvement. For those with effusion ≥15 mm, if there is no obvious regression after reaching the peak gestational age, that is, 29-32 weeks of pregnancy, it must be taken seriously and a chromosome test should be performed. Once it is determined that there may be sequelae, induced labor should be performed as soon as possible.

Causes of fetal hydronephrosis

Fetal hydronephrosis can be detected during pregnancy, and usually no intervention treatment is required during pregnancy.

Fetal hydronephrosis is due to congenital or genetic factors. If it is mild hydronephrosis, no treatment is required. If it is severe hydronephrosis, further clarification of the cause is needed, and surgery may be required at the appropriate time. There are many reasons for fetal hydronephrosis. The relatively common cause is obstruction at the junction of the renal pelvis and ureter. The exact cause needs further examination after birth to be determined. Congenital hydronephrosis depends on the cause and the degree of development. If the accumulated water continues to increase and compresses the renal tissue, the normal development of the renal tissue is affected, leading to a decline in renal function. In addition, there are several other causes of fetal hydronephrosis. Reflux of urine: An abnormal phenomenon in which urine flows back into the kidneys in patients with hydronephrosis.

At this time, the kidneys will have urine ready to flow into the bladder, as well as urine flowing back from the bladder. At this time, there will be too much water in the kidneys, causing hydronephrosis. Ureteral obstruction: It is a common disease that causes hydronephrosis in the kidney. The reason is that a small section of the ureter becomes narrow and causes obstruction, which makes it difficult for urine in the kidney to flow to the bladder and stagnate in the kidney. Usually, hydronephrosis can be improved by simply removing a narrow section of the ureter and reconnecting it to keep the ureter open. The collecting system of a normal fetal kidney may have mild separation, with a separation diameter of up to 6 mm. However, if the renal pelvis dilates ≥ 10 mm or the renal calyx dilatation is present after gestational age of more than 30 weeks, it is hydronephrosis.