The fetus may face several health conditions during its formation in the womb that result from a defect or deformity. Kidney enlargement or hydrocephalus is one of the most prominent of these health conditions or deformities that occur in newborns, and its severity varies from one child to another. If you are wondering What causes enlarged kidneys in the fetus? And how it is treated, you can read this article.

Kidney enlargement in the fetus

It is a swelling or expansion in the part that stores urine in the kidney as a result of urine retention in it, and children can suffer from enlarged kidneys before and after birth, and it is considered one of the most common deformities among children.

Kidney enlargement occurs in the fetus as a result of obstruction or lack of urine flow, which causes a defect in the urine collection system in the kidneys, which disposes of urine by sending it to the ureter tube and then to the bladder. Here are the most important symptoms of kidney enlargement, its risks and methods of diagnosis.

Symptoms of enlarged kidneys in the fetus

Before finding out what is the cause of the enlarged kidneys in the fetus, it should be noted that there are no external symptoms that appear on the pregnant mother to indicate that her fetus has kidney infection, but once the child is born, the pediatrician may be able to discover it by examining the kidney area under the angle of the ribs in the back or in the chest. The middle of the abdomen to detect the presence of swelling or not, but the examination may not be sufficient in some cases, so it is necessary to pay attention to the amount of urine flowing from the child, as low urine rate is considered one of the first symptoms of enlarged kidneys.

What is the cause of enlarged kidneys in the fetus?

The most common cause of an enlarged kidney in a fetus is a blockage in the ureteral passage, which is the place through which urine flows from the kidneys into the ureteral tube, and this blockage is often the result of a narrow or malformed passage.

In some cases, inflation may occur as a result of a defect in the vesico-ureteral valve, which prevents the flow of urine or its accumulation in the kidneys, leading to its expansion and swelling, a condition called vesico-ureteral reflux, and in other cases, the cause of the enlarged kidneys in the fetus may not be clear, and doctors suggest that it may result Due to the increased amount of urine produced by the baby in the later stages of pregnancy.

Risks of enlarged kidneys in the fetus

In most cases, kidney enlargement may not cause problems for the fetus, so that most cases recover over time without the need for treatment, but there are some severe or serious cases of kidney enlargement that can develop into urinary tract infection, scars, or kidney failure, so attention must be paid to detection early and taken into account to avoid this risk.

Diagnosis of enlarged kidneys in the fetus

Kidney enlargement in the fetus is diagnosed through several tests, as follows:

• Ultrasound examination.
• Ultrasound examination of the bladder and urethra.
• Radioisotope imaging of the kidneys or Dimercaptosuccinic acid test.

Treatment of enlarged kidneys in the fetus

After answering your question about the cause of the enlarged kidneys in the fetus, you should know that all these cases usually improve on their own and naturally several months after birth and do not need to resort to premature birth or surgical intervention except in critical cases.

After birth, the doctor will examine the child to verify his safety and the absence of complications, and after that a periodic medical follow-up is done to continue examining the child and giving him some types of antibiotics, and if the inflation does not improve after months of birth, the doctor may resort to a survey and surgery to treat the main cause of the inflation kidneys.

In the end and after finding out What causes enlarged kidneys in the fetus? It is necessary to pay attention to periodic follow-up and examinations during pregnancy for early detection of any health problem related to the fetus and work to treat it, with our wishes of abundant health and safety for you and your child.