Ultrasound shows only one kidney...

Wondering if any of you ladies have experience with this - in my 22 week (I think it was?) scan, they couldn't get a very clear picture of the bub's renal function, so I was booked in for another scan at 30 weeks. Went for it today, and they could only find a right kidney. Said that it's possible it's there and just not visible or that it's missing altogether. I know that you can survive fine with one kidney etc, have also done some googling since I've gotten home and read about the higher risk of UTIs in their lifetime, back pain, higher blood pressure, not supposed to play contact sport, drink alcohol etc etc. They're going to give her an ultrasound once she's born, anyway, to confirm or rule out. I'm obviously concerned, but not overly worried or stressed about it at this stage unless tests reveal anything else. And we're just hoping for the best, of course - that the left one is there as well :pray:

But what I'd like to know that I can't seem to find out is if bub will be kept in special care once she's born? Anyone know?

I don't have any experience here, just wanted to wish you all the best as you find answers. xo

just sending hugs, im sure everything will work out and you certainly have the best approach to it, staying calm and not stressing is the best thing you can do for your baby.

Hugs hun always hard hearing something not as it should be.

There should be no reason for her to go to SCN as long as her urine output is ok post birth, they will do a scan as you allreday said and go from there.

We have a family friend who only last year at age of 23 discovered she only had 1 kidney when she had a bad UTI (only 2nd ever in her life) and she was in lots of pain and passes small amount of wee with blood in it, they did a scan and could not find left kidney, so then sent her for MRI which confirmed it, (also showed bulging back disk which was actually causing majotity of her pain and not her UTI)
She up until diagnosis was playing contact sports and drinking large amounts of alchol, has since stopped contact sport and slowed on alchol (much to her mother and family discgust but thats another story.)

What I am trying to say is at least knowing from birth your baby can grow up having a reduced salt diet etc to protect her 1 kidney, rather than lifestyle change at 23.

Good luck for scan and hope all ok.

Blackduckies little girl had some kidney issues picked up during pregnancy, hope she will pop in.

My DS was diagnosed at the 20 week US with a 'congenitally absent left kidney'. They also spoke of the second kidney possibly being present somewhere in the pelvis, but it is in fact absent. My DS was also diagnosed with a whole lot of issues with the kidney which is present. Were you told whether the existing kidney appears normal? We were pretty sure the left kidney was absent in my DS as there was no evidence of the left renal vascular system. Were they able to find any veins or arteries which might be supplying blood to a left kidney in your DD?

As you stated, a person can live a healthy life with only one kidney. In fact, you only need 20% function of a single kidney to be 'well'. You are actually better off being born with a single kidney, as opposed to losing one, as that kidney will grow larger to compensate for the absent one. It is called a - wait for it - Superkidney! (I'm serious!!) My DS's kidney is approximately twice the size of a single kidney in a kid who has two; his kidney is therefore able to filter waste and produce urine at the same rate as two little kidney's. The incidence of a genetically absent kidney in a live birth is somewhere between 1:500 and 1:2000. Depends what you read...

So, the risk is that if that single kidney is damaged, there isn't a second one to back it up and do the job. My DS is more prone to UTI's as his single kidney suffers from hydronephrosis, which is pooling of urine in the renal pelvis. He also has a few other problems which make him more prone to UTI's. He started on prophylactic antibiotics after his birth (because of the hydronephrosis NOT because he only had one kidney) but still suffered several UTI's which travelled to the kidney. He required hospitalisation for the UTI's and was treated with IV antibiotics. Again, he was at risk of UTI's because of the problems with the kidney, not because he only had one. I am not aware of a single kidney which is functionally and structurally normal being more prone to infection. Anyway, scrub up on the symptoms of a UTI in infants so that you are comfortable that if your DD does develop an infection you will catch it early! We had DS circumcised at 12 months at the recommendation of his urologist. He stopped taking AB's at 18 months and hasn't had an infection since. Not a consideration if you know you are having a girl!

Contact sports will be an issue in future, again because if the kidney is damaged it doesn't have a mate to back it up. We will encourage DS towards non-contact sports. Normal play and rough-housing is not a problem; how many kids do you know who have damaged a kidney mucking around with friends? Then consider how many AFL players have lost a kidney - there are quite a few of them! My DS, of course, is naturally talented with a football and loves to kick it around...d'oh! Anyway, golf, tennis, track, ballet... there are plenty of options.

My DS did not go to SCN after delivery, although there was a paed on hand to check him immediately instead of waiting for day 2. Again, this was because of the issues with the existing kidney, not because one was absent. I don't believe your DD will go to special care just because she has one kidney, but you should certainly ask your care provider to put your mind at rest. We went home on day 5 as per normal. We see a private urologist, initially every 3 months, then every 6 and now every 12. DS is now 5 years old. Before each visit I take DS to the RCH in Melbourne for a renal US to check the hydronephrosis and renal development. We were also having a test to check function (called a MAG3) but it is quite invasive (strapped to a table for 40 minutes and given an IV isotope and then diuretic) so I have elected in the last couple of years to only have the MAG3 if the US shows something of concern. My DS's kidney is growing well and functioning adequately.

As for alcohol, I actually asked the urologist that... 'Will he be able to go to the pub with his mates and drink beer??' and his answer was a resounding 'yes'. As long as the kidney continues to function well, it is perfectly capable of filtering alcohol. Not to advocate that anyone should drink to excess, of course!

My DS is like any other kid; he's happy, active and somewhat cheeky! Physically you would never guess that there is anything 'wrong' with him. As his lovely urologist told me, 'You know, this kidney... it's just a different kind of animal. But it's a friendly animal'.

Anyway, I've waffled on and could keep going! I'm something of an 'Absent Kidney Expert' (if I may say so myself!) and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Nickle is def an expert on this one by the sounds of it :) just wanted to say that at my 28w scan with DS it picked up a problem with his left kidney and when we were spoken to by his Paed, he said he wouldnt need SCN for that specifically. He would be able to stay with me. That was ofcourse before his prem birth (totally unrelated though). I knows its different in that my DS had his kidney, but in answer to your question about SCN, I wouldnt think he would.

My eldest daughter only has one kidney. It was noticed during ultrasound scans while I was pregnant however they didn't tell me! I only found out in a follow up ultrasound on her when she was 6 weeks old. I totally panicked! We then had to have follow up scans every 6 months to make sure there was no residual kidney anywhere as this can cause low blood pressure. Once she turned one we swapped to annual blood pressure checks.

Tiana did go to SCN when born, however this was because I had gestational diabetes and she was classed as IUGR - nothing at all to do with the lack of a kidney. She is a very healthy little girl (now4) and she has only had 1 UTI ever. I was told that to be a little careful of UTI's though and if we get a fever that can't be explained e.g no runny nose or anything then to get her checked out for a UTI to be on the safe side.

Although it was a bit scary at the time it really hasn't been a big deal. :) Funny enough though - my sister who is 21 weeks pregnant just found out that her daughter only has 1 kidney too. Maybe it is a hereditary thing??

There is a 'genetic predisposition' to renal absence. Many of our older family members and some of our own generation have probably never had an US (they have only been offered routinely during pg for the past 20-25 years or so) and so would have no idea whether they have two kidneys.

I have explained to my DH that, as it is an undesirable trait, it obviously comes from his family's dodgy genes!!

Sorry for this late reply, yes my littlest DD has only one fuctioning kidney!! Issus first picked up at the 12 week US with a higher neck measurement Downs was intially suspected, but amino cleared and abnormality so with trepidation we headed to our 20 week scan expecting a heart defect, only to find instead 1 good kidney and one filled with cysts..at that scan there was a little function, by the 30 week scan there appeared to be none. A paed team was present as soon as she was born but she was in great cond so they allowed her to stay with me and then was taken for quick checks approx 15 minutes and then we got her back and did all the normal things. When she was 10 days old she had extensive testing which showed no function in her kidney which is actually better than a limited function, eg: no high blood pressure, no surgery to try and retain some type of function, she is now 10 months old and I rarely think about her cond..she is my biggest baby off the chart for length a good weight, no feeding issues, perhaps drinks slightly less? no UTI's and delevloping normally. Due for an US and paed appointment in a couple of months to see what is happening..the cysts continue to grow and her belly is slightly enlarged, we intend to encourage as healthy a lifestyle as possible (as with our other kids, we drink water, juice is a treat rarely happens and soft drink is a party drink and then they often ask for water?)we still want her to participate in sports etc (maybe not foooty!!!)
wishing you the best of luck, hope you see thsi.

Thanks to you all for your replies and well-wishes :) I entirely forgot about this thread - have been so busy with doctors appointments! (I have been having issues, too, throughout this pregnancy, which is always fun!)

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Hugs hun always hard hearing something not as it should be.

There should be no reason for her to go to SCN as long as her urine output is ok post birth, they will do a scan as you allreday said and go from there.

We have a family friend who only last year at age of 23 discovered she only had 1 kidney when she had a bad UTI (only 2nd ever in her life) and she was in lots of pain and passes small amount of wee with blood in it, they did a scan and could not find left kidney, so then sent her for MRI which confirmed it, (also showed bulging back disk which was actually causing majotity of her pain and not her UTI)
She up until diagnosis was playing contact sports and drinking large amounts of alchol, has since stopped contact sport and slowed on alchol (much to her mother and family discgust but thats another story.)

What I am trying to say is at least knowing from birth your baby can grow up having a reduced salt diet etc to protect her 1 kidney, rather than lifestyle change at 23.

Good luck for scan and hope all ok.

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So true - it's a really good excuse for her to be as healthy as possible from the beginning instead of finding out later in life and potentially changing lifestyle and routine! That being said, my husband's a personal trainer and our other 3 are regularly involved in physical activity and healthy eating, so I don't think she would have stood a chance not being that way anyway :D

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My DS was diagnosed at the 20 week US with a 'congenitally absent left kidney'. They also spoke of the second kidney possibly being present somewhere in the pelvis, but it is in fact absent. My DS was also diagnosed with a whole lot of issues with the kidney which is present. Were you told whether the existing kidney appears normal? We were pretty sure the left kidney was absent in my DS as there was no evidence of the left renal vascular system. Were they able to find any veins or arteries which might be supplying blood to a left kidney in your DD?

As you stated, a person can live a healthy life with only one kidney. In fact, you only need 20% function of a single kidney to be 'well'. You are actually better off being born with a single kidney, as opposed to losing one, as that kidney will grow larger to compensate for the absent one. It is called a - wait for it - Superkidney! (I'm serious!!) My DS's kidney is approximately twice the size of a single kidney in a kid who has two; his kidney is therefore able to filter waste and produce urine at the same rate as two little kidney's. The incidence of a genetically absent kidney in a live birth is somewhere between 1:500 and 1:2000. Depends what you read...

So, the risk is that if that single kidney is damaged, there isn't a second one to back it up and do the job. My DS is more prone to UTI's as his single kidney suffers from hydronephrosis, which is pooling of urine in the renal pelvis. He also has a few other problems which make him more prone to UTI's. He started on prophylactic antibiotics after his birth (because of the hydronephrosis NOT because he only had one kidney) but still suffered several UTI's which travelled to the kidney. He required hospitalisation for the UTI's and was treated with IV antibiotics. Again, he was at risk of UTI's because of the problems with the kidney, not because he only had one. I am not aware of a single kidney which is functionally and structurally normal being more prone to infection. Anyway, scrub up on the symptoms of a UTI in infants so that you are comfortable that if your DD does develop an infection you will catch it early! We had DS circumcised at 12 months at the recommendation of his urologist. He stopped taking AB's at 18 months and hasn't had an infection since. Not a consideration if you know you are having a girl!

Contact sports will be an issue in future, again because if the kidney is damaged it doesn't have a mate to back it up. We will encourage DS towards non-contact sports. Normal play and rough-housing is not a problem; how many kids do you know who have damaged a kidney mucking around with friends? Then consider how many AFL players have lost a kidney - there are quite a few of them! My DS, of course, is naturally talented with a football and loves to kick it around...d'oh! Anyway, golf, tennis, track, ballet... there are plenty of options.

My DS did not go to SCN after delivery, although there was a paed on hand to check him immediately instead of waiting for day 2. Again, this was because of the issues with the existing kidney, not because one was absent. I don't believe your DD will go to special care just because she has one kidney, but you should certainly ask your care provider to put your mind at rest. We went home on day 5 as per normal. We see a private urologist, initially every 3 months, then every 6 and now every 12. DS is now 5 years old. Before each visit I take DS to the RCH in Melbourne for a renal US to check the hydronephrosis and renal development. We were also having a test to check function (called a MAG3) but it is quite invasive (strapped to a table for 40 minutes and given an IV isotope and then diuretic) so I have elected in the last couple of years to only have the MAG3 if the US shows something of concern. My DS's kidney is growing well and functioning adequately.

As for alcohol, I actually asked the urologist that... 'Will he be able to go to the pub with his mates and drink beer??' and his answer was a resounding 'yes'. As long as the kidney continues to function well, it is perfectly capable of filtering alcohol. Not to advocate that anyone should drink to excess, of course!

My DS is like any other kid; he's happy, active and somewhat cheeky! Physically you would never guess that there is anything 'wrong' with him. As his lovely urologist told me, 'You know, this kidney... it's just a different kind of animal. But it's a friendly animal'.

Anyway, I've waffled on and could keep going! I'm something of an 'Absent Kidney Expert' (if I may say so myself!) and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

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Thanks for your reply! Lots of info there. As to the bolded question, that's the thing - they couldn't see the arteries/veins supplying the kidney, and couldn't see the kidney at all - she said it looks as if it's absent altogether and the bowel has just taken up that space. My GP is the eternal optimist and is saying maybe they just can't SEE the arteries/veins, but they might still be there and everything is fine. I don't know if he thinks that for real, or if he's trying to make me feel more positive. But I'm a realist and prefer to understand all the options before something happens as much as possible, so we are just taking it as it comes and dealing with it as it needs it.

I must say, though, that I am really hoping that she's a real girly-girl and has no interest in playing football! :D Sounds like you have your hands full there with your DS - I can see how it would be a bit more 'on the mind' when you have a rough and tumble boy!

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My eldest daughter only has one kidney. It was noticed during ultrasound scans while I was pregnant however they didn't tell me! I only found out in a follow up ultrasound on her when she was 6 weeks old. I totally panicked! We then had to have follow up scans every 6 months to make sure there was no residual kidney anywhere as this can cause low blood pressure. Once she turned one we swapped to annual blood pressure checks.

Tiana did go to SCN when born, however this was because I had gestational diabetes and she was classed as IUGR - nothing at all to do with the lack of a kidney. She is a very healthy little girl (now4) and she has only had 1 UTI ever. I was told that to be a little careful of UTI's though and if we get a fever that can't be explained e.g no runny nose or anything then to get her checked out for a UTI to be on the safe side.

Although it was a bit scary at the time it really hasn't been a big deal. :) Funny enough though - my sister who is 21 weeks pregnant just found out that her daughter only has 1 kidney too. Maybe it is a hereditary thing??

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Maybe there is some hereditary link, who knows? Glad your little one is well, though! :) I find it strange that they say all these people live with only one kidney and never even know it, yet sometimes, like in our cases, they find it on the ultrasound...I wonder why it's not ALWAYS picked up before birth. Perhaps technology is just better now than ever?

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Sorry for this late reply, yes my littlest DD has only one fuctioning kidney!! Issus first picked up at the 12 week US with a higher neck measurement Downs was intially suspected, but amino cleared and abnormality so with trepidation we headed to our 20 week scan expecting a heart defect, only to find instead 1 good kidney and one filled with cysts..at that scan there was a little function, by the 30 week scan there appeared to be none. A paed team was present as soon as she was born but she was in great cond so they allowed her to stay with me and then was taken for quick checks approx 15 minutes and then we got her back and did all the normal things. When she was 10 days old she had extensive testing which showed no function in her kidney which is actually better than a limited function, eg: no high blood pressure, no surgery to try and retain some type of function, she is now 10 months old and I rarely think about her cond..she is my biggest baby off the chart for length a good weight, no feeding issues, perhaps drinks slightly less? no UTI's and delevloping normally. Due for an US and paed appointment in a couple of months to see what is happening..the cysts continue to grow and her belly is slightly enlarged, we intend to encourage as healthy a lifestyle as possible (as with our other kids, we drink water, juice is a treat rarely happens and soft drink is a party drink and then they often ask for water?)we still want her to participate in sports etc (maybe not foooty!!!)
wishing you the best of luck, hope you see thsi.

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Thanks for your reply, Blackduckies :) I have read that if there is one there that it would be better for it not to be functioning at all rather than be abnormal in anyway, so it's interesting that you said that. (obviously it's always better if there's 2 and they're both healthy, but you know what I mean) Do they think the cysts will eventually have to be removed or will they settle as she grows? And could they see a blood supply to that kidney/was the kidney showing up properly on the ultrasound? I'm still not overly worried about the strong possibility bub just has one kidney, but we are just obviously hoping that that being the case, the one that she DOES have is healthy and has no problems.

My little man was diagnosed with one kidney at his 20 week ultrasound. Like Nickle, they were confused as to whether he had one kidney or if there was one somewhere else. We had a scan again at 36 weeks and they determined that he only had his right kidney and it was much larger than the normal kidney so it is accommodating for the work of two kidneys. After he was born, he was only taken away from me for a quick scan to confirm what they saw in utero. We had a pead appt at 6 weeks and were advised to just have urine function tests every year to check how everything is going. So far, so good :) Basically we were told that he couldn't do any 'contact sports' where there was risk in damaging his kidney, but other than that, he can lead a completely normal life.

I found a group on Facebook Born With A Single Kidney (Renal Agenesis), I hope you can join and support people with the same condition or same diagnosis on babies.
I pray all the best for all the babies in this world.