Our Fetus Has Enlarged Ventricles in His Brain

I honestly think all this prenatal testing and technology can do more harm than good. In all likelihood everything is fine. I say that because the dr. said they are only "slightly" enlarged. So it is probably just a variation of normal. Now that they can "see" so much more due to technology, it has just opened up endless possibilities of things to freak out about when most of the time everything is fine. For example, during my ultrasound i was told I have a misshapen uterus and that it might cause problems. I went on to deliver a perfectly healthy baby and if it were the 1850's i probably would have gone on to deliver 10 more without any doctor ever realizing my uterus is not the "right" shape.
Oh and not to sound TOO cynical but another thing to keep in mind, the doctors love all these tests, procedures and office visits because that is how they make money. I'm not saying they are evil, just that that is how their system works. They will offer you every test and procedure under the sun because that is how they do things. But it is not always necessarily in your best interest.
Finally....even if your baby does have an abnormality, you will LOVE him or her with all your heart once they are born.
Best wishes to you!

Hi, A.,
My ob/gyn told me that the tests and ultrasounds showed that my son had hydrocephalus, as well as Downs Syndrome. She wanted me to have an amnio done, so I could know for sure, and terminate. WTH??

This was at 20 weeks, also. I told her I didn't want the amnio, because of the risk of miscarriage (even though it's slight). It wouldn't matter if my son had Downs, I certainly would never terminate the pregnancy! She was very pushy about it. (So, I had to change doctors at 20 weeks.)

But, after she gave me this "news" and told me about shunts and Downs and everything, I went home, called my mom and asked her to pray. She got her whole ABF class to pray for my boy. Every week. For 16 weeks. (He was born at 35 1/2 weeks).

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that the more people praying, the more powerful it is. I will pray for your son to be perfectly healthy, and I'm sure other moms on this site will, too.

As for my poor little boy...... ; ) He was a preemie, but scored a 9.5 on the APGAR and was so healthy he went home with me the next day. NO hydrocephalus. NO Downs Syndrome. He's a beautiful, awesome kid of 12 now.

Blessings to you. And don't you worry. It will all be okay.

My heart goes out to you because I know that you are worried and will likely worry at least a little until your baby is born. I can relate a little as my middle son had "bright spots" (I'll spare you the medical name) in his heart which are soft markers for Down's. Since my husband and I would never terminate, we had skipped the triple screen and opted out of an amnio to minimize risk to our baby son. It wasn't until birth that we found out he was normal. Words cannot describe the gratitude we felt to the Lord for blessing us as He did.
Try not to dwell on these results. Doctors aren't out to get your money with repeated testing, they just want to help you make educated decisions about delivery of your baby (a CS is sometimes necessary if baby is hydrocephalic) and immediate medical care after delivery. Have the necessary tests and ask a lot of questions. Don't scan the internet for comfort, for you will likely find none. You will likely know more in a month when you have the next ultrasound. In my practice, I have seen both positive and negative outcomes of enlarged ventricles. Sometime the ventricles shrink and are normal on the next ultrasound. Sometimes there are problems such as hydrocephalus that becomes more apparent with the growth of the baby's head. This and other problems are usually addressed after delivery. I'm praying today for peace for you and your family and good news after the next ultrasound. Your baby is special, precious and unique. Don't let the diagnosis steal your joy of having a baby. He or she is a miracle! Nurse Midwife Mom

Yes, my youngest daughter had a 2 vessel cord (I think that's what it was) it was also one of those things that many times turns out to be nothing but they do see it in kids with genetic abnormality. I was freaking out and getting bi weekly ultrasounds. Well my baby girl was born BIG, healthy as can be and is now a super smart beautiful girl who's getting ready to start kindergarten. Hope this helps & big hugs to you :)

We were told with daughter #1 that I had "amniotic bands" which could result in her limbs being amputated in utero! That really freaked me out, as you might imagine. However, she was born perfectly healthy and normal, and is a beautiful, bright almost-9 year old today.

Hang in there - sometimes having all this information at our fingertips does more harm than good. Try not to worry! (I know, easier said than done!)

Hi A.-

Not exactly the same diagnosis, but at my 20 wk. check up one of my twins had fluid on the brain. My doctor told me the same thing.....not to worry yet because sometimes it turns out to be nothing at all. Well.... he was right! My son is almost 10 yrs. old now and is healthy, cute and is smart!

Blessings to you and I hope everything turns out to be okay for your little one, too. Easier said than done, but try not to worry.... it just steals precious time from you from doing other, more enjoyable things.

-J.

A.,

Keep in mind that much of this doom-and-gloom that turns out to be nothing is the result of malpractice premiums through the roof and an overly-litigious society! It's a CYA thing.

Turn it over to the Lord. God bless!

I've never had an ultrasound through 3 pregnancies, so I know I'm on a far end of that spectrum. Of course prenatal testing, including ultrasounds, has saved moms and babies. But the problem with prenatal testing is that you must DO something with those results. And for many people that means worry. And much of that worry is unnecessary. Whether or not there is something "wrong" with your baby, at this point there is nothing you can do except worry. And now you can't get back these weeks.

Many prenatal tests have a high rate of false positives, many don't really TELL you anything except you have an "increased chance" of something and in this case, you really weren't given any solid info. "Slightly enlarged?" You also have a chance of a "slightly long" labor. I hate to say this, but try not to worry because it does no one any good right now.

This local business has an early pregnancy class monthly but you've just gone beyond that now. One thing covered is prenatal tests:
http://www.inspiredABQ.com
Good luck. The chances are your child will be healthy and beautiful!

My son's ultrasound showed he had enlarged ventricles at 32 weeks. His ultrasound was normal at 20 weeks. The doctor ended up diagnosing my son with hydrocephalus. Typically to fix this problem a shunt is put in the head at birth. That surgery is fairly simple and kids can typically go home the day after surgery. I will say a prayer for you and your baby.