Anyone know anything about cystic kidneys in the fetus?

[Katielady]

(xpost from "i'm pregnant")

My friend is I think about 22 weeks pregnant, and just learned via ultrasound that her baby's right kidney isn't working, and is cystic. The other kidney is working find and the fluid levels are OK.

Anyone experienced this, or had a client go through it? I'd love to be able to send her some info. They're talking about inducing if it gets worse, which scares me since her baby is still so tiny. She does have a midwife and not an OB, so hopefully her midwife is not induction-happy and will not induce unless it's truly needed.

[jengacnm]

If what gets worse? A cystic kidney isn't going to get worse, and if her other kidney isn't cystic it's not going to become so.

I would not be induced unless the fluids levels become decisively low-none of this "borderline" crap.

[BugMacGee]

I have taken care of a couple babies with polycystic kidneys. One baby's were so bad they were just removed immediately after birth, they put too much pressure on his lungs. (He was put on peritoneal dialysis while he grew big enough for transplant)
I think if the one kidney works well, your friend's baby should do fine. Lot's of people live with one kidney, I can't see why a fetus would be any different. Unless the bad kidney starts to impinge on other organs or something.
I do think the cysts can get bigger.

[HoneymoonBaby]

There is a difference between multicystic kidney, polycystic kidney, and a kidney that looks cystic because of a UPJ or other obstruction. It would help to know what the diagnosis is to make further comments, but inducing at 22 weeks is insane regardless of the diagnosis.

[Katielady]

Thanks all.

I believe they were talking about inducing at a later date, once the baby is past 24 weeks, if further kidney problems develop. I don't know the full diagnosis, and my friend hasn't wanted to get into a ton of detail because she gets too upset when she talks about it. Poor mama!` :

Anyway, at this point I'm just trying to let her know I'm here for her, both for support and for information, should she want any.

Oh and it also turns out she has a fibroid covering her cervix, so she will probably need a c-section (sounds a lot like placenta previa) instead of the natural birth she wanted. I hope not. She is seeing specialists at this point so I'm hoping they will give her good info about all of this.