The period of bearing a child is a long-awaited time for many women. But sometimes there are cases when troubles arise that are associated with the development of the unborn baby. One of the unpleasant pathologies is considered to be hyperechoic intestine in the fetus. What is meant by it and how does it threaten the baby? Let's figure it out.
Hyperechoic intestine in the fetus refers to a pathological process that is characterized by increased intra-abdominal structure, comparable to the echogenicity of bone tissue. It occurs in many expectant mothers and is diagnosed in the initial stages of pregnancy. By the sixteenth week, the brightness of the baby's intestinal canal disappears.
However, there are situations when the pathological process makes itself felt. It is usually detected at the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy. Then expectant mothers are advised to undergo repeated examinations, because they can hide serious illnesses.
Increased echogenicity of the intestine in the fetus manifests itself for several reasons in the form of:
- risk of hereditary chromosomal disease. These include Down syndrome;
- intrauterine infection of the baby with various infections in the form of herpes, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, acute rubella;
- delay in intrauterine development in a child from gestation;
- decreased volume of amniotic fluid;
- disturbances of blood flow in the placenta, uterine vessels;
- development of cystic fibrosis. A disease that leads to disruption of the endocrine glands;
- congenital abnormal processes in the digestive system. These include asthenia of the small intestine, impaired peristalsis and obstructive lesions of the intestinal canal.
It is important to remember that the echogenicity of the fetal intestine during ultrasound diagnosis is always slightly higher than that of other organs in the abdominal area. Therefore, you should not panic ahead of time, not knowing the cause of the disease.
Diagnosing the intestines in a child
Hyperechoic fetal intestine is difficult to identify immediately. If it is possible to see something using the ultrasound technique, then the expectant mother is prescribed an examination to determine the cause.
This includes:
- biochemical screening. A woman's blood is drawn several times;
- repeat ultrasound diagnosis after three to four weeks;
- performing analysis for TORCH infections;
- performing amniocentesis and cordocentesis.
Down syndrome is a rather serious pathological process. By disease we mean a lag not only in mental development, but also various anomalies in the internal organs. To exclude this syndrome, a pregnant woman undergoes biochemical screening. It involves double and triple testing to detect elevated or decreased levels of certain markers in the blood fluid. Only a geneticist can decipher the result.
If you see a hyperechoic intestine on an ultrasound, then there is a possibility that the newborn will develop other anomalies. They are diagnosed in eight percent of all cases.
To make sure that the fetus has not become infected, the expectant mother should be tested for TORCH infections. Results are based on the presence or absence of antibodies.
To test for the detection of chromosomal pathologies and intrauterine infection, amniotic fluid is collected from the umbilical cord. This diagnostic method is considered safe, since the material is taken under ultrasound control. The waiting time for results is approximately three weeks.
The most accurate way to identify the cause is cordocentesis. It involves taking blood directly from the umbilical cord using a puncture. Using the same technique, medications are administered to the fetus.
Possible consequences for the fetus
Increased echogenicity of the fetal intestine can lead to adverse consequences. First of all, a violation of the uteroplacental blood flow may occur, which can cause intrauterine growth retardation.
A reduced content of the water component in meconium can lead to intestinal obstruction. If perforation of the intestinal canal occurs, meconium will enter the abdominal area, resulting in infection. Thus, peritonitis develops, which can cause the formation of calcifications and cysts on the intestinal walls and surfaces of internal organs. A sterile abscess may also appear.
If the gastrodigestive system is disrupted, other anomalies may appear in the form of Meckel's diverticulum or Hirschsprung's disease. Meckel's diverticulum is an abnormal process that affects the connecting zone of the small intestine with the bile sac. The process is located between the navel and the ileum. Therefore, intestinal contents may be discharged from the umbilical region.
Hirschsprung's disease is a congenital defect characterized by the absence of nerve plexuses in the colon and the provision of constant peristalsis in it.
Treatment of intestinal hyperechogenicity
If other pathological processes are not present with hyperechogenicity of the intestinal canal, then the diagnosis can be considered erroneous. If anomalies are found during diagnosis, the doctor prescribes appropriate treatment and manages the entire pregnancy from beginning to end.
If there is an increased likelihood of the baby having Down syndrome, experts strongly advise abortion. The final answer remains with the parents, since there are cases when the diagnosis does not correspond to reality.
For intrauterine infection, patients are prescribed immunomodulatory medications and immunoglobulins. Many mothers claim that even with such a diagnosis, the pregnancy ends well, and the baby is born completely healthy and strong.
Often, with hyperechogenicity of the intestinal canal after birth, colic occurs in newborns. Dealing with such a problem is quite difficult. They torment babies constantly after eating.
Intestinal colic in newborns with this diagnosis disappears closer to a year. But in healthy children they are completed by three months. Spasms can lead to constant regurgitation, causing doctors to make an erroneous diagnosis.
The newborn's intestines develop even after birth. But with such a baby it is necessary to remain registered for a long time.
Treatment of intestinal colic in infants consists of taking sorbents in the form of Smecta, preparations based on fennel and other herbs in the form of Plantex, Espumisan, medications based on simethicone in the form of SubSimplex. The duration of treatment therapy is determined by the doctor.
If meconium peritonitis develops at the birth of the baby, then surgical intervention is performed urgently. Internal bleeding, which is provoked by peritonitis, leads to short intestinal canal syndrome.
It is not always necessary to treat pathology. In most cases, the child’s body copes with the problem on its own.
Preventive actions
Hyperechogenicity of the intestinal canal occurs for many reasons. Therefore, the expectant mother should think about the baby’s health and take a number of important preventive measures.
Before conceiving, undergo an examination and pass all tests for infections. If something is discovered, then it is worth undergoing medical therapy. You should plan a pregnancy after an infection no earlier than three months after taking the last pill.
Lead a healthy lifestyle and eat right. It is worth giving up drinking alcohol and smoking. Take care of proper sleep and rest. Eat rationally.
During pregnancy, promiscuity should be avoided. Nobody prohibits an expectant mother from having sex, but it is necessary to use contraceptives in the form of condoms.
During the gestation period, you need to walk as often as possible, because one of the reasons is fetal hypoxia and impaired blood flow.
Hyperechoic intestine in the fetus is considered a fairly common problem, but the diagnosis is not always confirmed. In most cases, parents refuse a thorough examination and give birth to healthy babies. But each case is individual, since in some situations everything ends in intrauterine fetal death.
Hyperechogenicity is the increased brightness of the intestine in an ultrasound image. The echogenicity of the intestine is normally higher than the echogenicity of other organs.
Hyperechoic intestine in the fetus: what is it?
Detection of this pathology should be carried out after 16 weeks, since before this even a normal embryo can have an intestine with high echogenicity. Its increase may indicate the presence of Down syndrome, so careful monitoring of the anatomy of the fetus is carried out.
Occasionally, hyperechoic bowel can be found in fetuses with developmental delay.
Hyperechoic intestine in the fetus occurs only in cases where the echogenicity of the intestine reaches the echogenicity of the bones. If this echographic marker is detected, the doctor should treat the finding more carefully, as it may be associated with congenital pathology of the fetus.
Don't worry right away. To confirm this diagnosis, you will be prescribed additional tests and ultrasound. Hyperechoic intestine is diagnosed in every second pregnant woman in the early stages. Moreover, the technology can fail and show results inaccurately.
Such symptoms in the fetus are quite difficult to determine due to the fact that the criteria for its definition are not precise. Another reason is the technique itself, since the properties of the screen are different and some simply do not allow one to notice the pathology. Therefore, repeat the study on other equipment with higher resolution.
What to do if you are diagnosed with hyperechoic intestine? Contact a geneticist who can help you verify the correctness of the diagnosis or refute assumptions.
Sometimes such results may indicate the presence of intrauterine infections, so do not neglect the help of specialists. In some cases, this diagnosis may indicate the presence of fetal intestinal obstruction. In most cases, these signs disappear by the end of pregnancy, so do not panic until you consult a geneticist.
Consequences of hyperechoic intestine in the fetus
Data obtained by various researchers suggest that the presence of hyperechoic intestine is the basis for classifying a pregnant woman as a risk group, since she may give birth to a child with cystic fibrosis.
Despite the fact that hyperechogenic intestine can indicate various pathologies of the fetus, most cases of detected hyperechogenicity resulted in the birth of children without anomalies.
Treatment of hyperechoic bowel
In cases where intestinal hyperechogenicity is established, a woman should undergo a comprehensive prenatal examination, which will include studying the karyotype, assessing the ultrasound anatomy of the child, monitoring his condition, and performing tests for intrauterine infection. Only after this can the doctor give the woman the necessary recommendations for treatment and further management of pregnancy.
Video about fetal development disorders
What is hyperechoic bowel?
Hyperechoic bowel is a term that refers to increased echogenicity (brightness) of the bowel on ultrasound images. Detection of hyperechoic intestine is NOT a V malformation of the intestine, but simply reflects the nature of its ultrasound image. It must be remembered that the echogenicity of the normal intestine is higher than the echogenicity of its neighboring organs (liver, kidneys, lungs), but such intestine is not considered hyperechoic. Only intestines whose echogenicity is comparable to the echogenicity of fetal bones are called hyperechoic.
Why is the fetal intestine hyperechoic?
- Sometimes hyperechoic intestine is detected in completely normal fetuses, and this sign may disappear with dynamic ultrasound.
- Increased echogenicity of the intestine may be a manifestation of chromosomal diseases of the fetus, in particular Down syndrome. Therefore, when hyperechoic bowel is detected, a careful assessment of fetal anatomy is performed. However, when identifying hyperechoic
- intestines, we can only talk about an increased risk of Down syndrome, since such changes can also occur in completely healthy fetuses.
- Sometimes hyperechoic bowel may be a sign of intrauterine fetal infection.
- Hyperechoic bowel is often found in fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction. However, this will necessarily reveal a lag in the size of the fetus from the gestational age, oligohydramnios, and impaired blood flow in the vessels of the fetus and uterus. If none of the above is detected, then the diagnosis of fetal growth restriction is excluded.
What to do if hyperechoic intestine is detected in the fetus?
- You should contact a geneticist who will once again evaluate the results of the double and (or) triple biochemical test. The geneticist will give the necessary recommendations for further management of pregnancy.
- It is recommended to undergo testing to determine antibodies to rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, parvovirus B19, and toxoplasmosis.
- control ultrasound after 4 weeks to assess the rate of fetal growth and its functional state.
Today we performed a detailed ultrasound examination of all organs and systems of the child. There were no other signs of Down syndrome.
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The Leningrad Regional Clinical Hospital has introduced screening for pregnant women without an appointment. The cost of the study is 3100 rubles.
