fluid around heart of fetus

[firsttimemommyjewels]

I am 18 weeks pregnant.  At my ultrasound yesterday, the doctor noticed fluid around the heart of the baby.  There is not fluid anywhere else (except where it is supposed to be).  Everything else is normal.  He performed an amniocentesis, but I don't get the results back for 2 weeks.  My dr. specializes in high-risk, and he has never seen anything like this before.  Please, if anyone has any information, let me know so I can know what I am up against.
Thanks,

[nurse12hr]

Fluid around the heart of an unborn baby is called fetal pericardial effusion.

It can be associated with Rh isoimunization (or Rh disease), fetal hydrops--or edema and swelling of the baby and its' major organs (although you don't describe any other problem with the baby), sometimes a viral process, and sometimes it just appears and resolves spontaneously without anyone knowing why.

It is uncommon, but not something a high risk doctor would not be fairly familiar with.  

Hopefully you will get reassuring news with your testing.

[firsttimemommyjewels]

Thank you, Christie, for your response.  I have researched fetal hydrops, and will get on checking out edema and Rh disease (although my blood type is A positive, so the Dr. ruled out Rh as a potential problem). There are no other problems with brain development or anything else per the ultrasound, as you noted, so we are hoping that it is one of those fluke things that will resolve itself.  Again, thanks.

[Taj2008]

I went in yesterday for my first ultrasound, of couse I was excited to finally see my little baby moving around inside my womb. Once I saw my baby it all became so real to me that I really have life inside myself. The ultra sound was going fine so I thought, then as  the doctor begin to speak she she, "this doesn't look good." I instanlty started to cry. The doctor said their is a large amount of fliud around my baby's heart, brainn, and neck. Someone anyone who knows about this please contact me. ***@****.
Thank You for any info you can provide...
Blessings & Love

[msa225]

as they said before it could be due to Rh isoimunization (or Rh disease) or other blood conflict issue. We had it at 20 weeks and had to go through emergency blood transfusion as it turned out the baby is anemic.

Go to a high risk to see what cause the hydrops, so they can treat you.

good luck!

[sac93022]

Hi,
I found a website for just hydrops babies.  I posted a story about mine,  Sophia.

http://www.hygen.net/hydrops-fetalis/index.php

please check it out.

[bob4445555]

Our baby ultrasound had excess fluid around the heart, we followed up and he seemed normal, born yesterday and he shows signs of downs syndrom (syndrome).

[emma734]

i had the same thing with the fluid around the heart and as there drown some fluid off when she was inside the womb she went tacecardic at( 34 weeks) and i had to have an emergency c section and still she got fluid around her heart we have to go for checks every two weeks for scans i felt that there was no support as the doctors didnt understand where it came from they have told me that there is no long term problems with my doughter unless the fluid increases then there will have to oparate i sill cont get my head round it i dont know if there is support for me my family are  great but i dont know anyone with the same problem for advise as nobody knows the upset and the stress you go though  thanks