For Physicians. By Physicians.
For Physicians. By Physicians.
Fetal bowel can sometimes appear bright on prenatal ultrasound depending on the transducer used and machine settings. However, echogenic bowel in the fetus is not a significant finding unless the bowel appears as bright as bone (the brightness of the iliac wing can be used a reference). If the ultrasound report does confirm echogenic fetal bowel, further management should include
Fetal echogenic bowel is present in up to 1.8% of second trimester ultrasound exams. It can be due to congenital cytomegalovirus infection, cystic fibrosis, intra-amniotic bleeding, fetal growth restriction, aneuploidy or gastrointestinal obstruction. Therefore, further work-up is warranted.
ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 226: Screening for Fetal Chromosomal Abnormalities
ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 162: Prenatal Diagnostic Testing for Genetic Disorders
Outcome of infants presenting with echogenic bowel in the second trimester of pregnancy
Locate a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist: SMFM
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