A scary 18 week ultrasound report...HELP..has anyone had this or know of anyone..?.

[Suzan1975]

Hi guys,

I had my 18 week u/s last week..we found out we are having a boy..and were thrilled...unfortunately..we also got the results from our u/s at my physicians office as well from the u/s..

Everything was looking good and then he said..."Looks like there was a cluster of white (mineralzation) of calcium buildup around his heart...he said usually they (dr's) dont even bother to tell mothers about it..as it usually goes away later on in the 3rd trimester...Also that there is a 1% chance that this is also linked to Downs..But was told not to worry about it..I am being sent in again for another u/s in a couple weeks to have a echogenic focus done (around the heart) by a specified tech in the u/s field...I am praying to God that all goes well with that...Even though he (my Dr) said that he sees about 1 case a month of this with other pregnant mother/patients there..he said its fairly normal and usualy goes away and yet..to not worry...How is one to not worry when these words are associated with your growing baby inside of you...After those words left his lips and told them to me...everything else went quite and I didnt hear another word come out from his mouth...all I could hear from then on in..was calcium build up and downs..

Please if any of you have had this scare ...or know anyone..I would love to hear about it..As I am in a state of concern and upset...and am waiting to get my echogenic u/s in a couple weeks time...until then panic has set in..

Thanks so much to any of you who respond...I deeply appreiciate it at this time..as I am really scared...but trying to stay positive!

xo

Hope you all are well...and your babies too!

[limpet]

I am so sorry that yet another person has to freak out about this like I did. I have a post you may want to read - Echogenic focus that is what those clusters or calcium deposits are called. I was terrified when they saw 2 on my sons heart at 18 weeks, I then had to go for a fetal echocardiagram and they are still there (I am now 22 weeks) well I did what all of us seem to do , dove right into research, research , research! This is what I concluded after all my research and a call from a friend who is an OB - This is not worth the worry, it is so common that had I been under 35 it would not have been mentioned. This find with no other markers is not even considered a full marker anymore. our doctor scared us really bad with all the statistics and then after the Fetal Echocardiogram he acted as if it was nothing. The tech said she was sorry she even had to tell the doctor that she saw it on the first U/S because she sees one a week and has never seen it turn into anything and she had been doing this for over 20 years.

As hard as this is to do - Please do not waste any of your precious pregnancy worrying about this!!!! We were also told that we may have an echogenic focus and never knew it because the technology was not as good back then.

One more thing - this does not in any way effect the function of the heart.

Hope this helps, I really wish you didnt have to go through this. Feel free to ask me anything at all about our experience with this.

[Suzan1975]

Thanks ladies for the support...Its nice to hear at times like these..thats for sure!!
I will keep you posted on the echogenic focus in the weeks to come!!
Please pray for my little guy!!

Jnnlw: ..They didnt find any other markers for Downs...it was just bc of the calcium buildup around his heart..can be linked to Downs...and its about a 1% chance..I think..I wikipedia'd it..so lets hope we are in the other 99% percental!!

Ill keep you posted...
Hope you all are well..and your babies and you...both healthy!

[JourneyJoJo]

I'm so sorry you have to worry and hope that you are able to think positively.  I'm sure everything's fine with the baby.  In the meantime, by taking care of yourself, at least you know you're taking care of the baby.  Whatever happens you'll be able to deal with it.

[adgal]

I'm with Court...I bet your little guy is just fine.  Of course you will worry, impossible not to, but I can tell you that the vast majority of the time, these early warning signs turn out to be nothing at all.  Good luck to you!!

[Courtcoop]

Suzan...please read what I just posted..."B4 you freak out about a test"...the baby will be absolutely fine.

[Jnnlw]

ONe other thing,  did the doctor say that they found any other Down's markers, like missing nasal bone, short "long bones", increased nuchal fold?

[Jnnlw]

I understand what you are going through and how hard it is not to worry.  I'm kind of in the same situation as you are, except that I'm 12 weeks pregnant.  I had the NT screening and they found a thickened nuchal fold.  They said that the chances of a Down's or some kind of heart problem is 1.4%.  Of course, that means it's a 98.6% chance that the baby is genetically normal....but how can a mom not obsess over it?  I decided to go ahead and have CVS diagnostic testing since the chances of my baby having Down's is higher than having a miscarriage from the procedure, and I can't stand the waiting and wondering.  Let me know how the echocardiogram went.