January 18, 2012:

Just doing some research on the diagnosis that the doctor from UIC gave us . The highlighted part breaks my heart

What is multicystic dysplastic kidney?

To understand this condition, it is helpful to understand how the urinary tract works.  In simple terms, the kidneys (we typically have two) filter the blood and remove waste products that are then taken out of the body in the urine. The cortex of the kidneys make the urine. This urine is collected in the pelvis, which empties into a tube (the ureter) and then drains into the bladder. From the bladder the urine is drained out of the body through the urethra. 

During pregnancy the placenta does most of this work for the baby. The baby's kidneys start to produce urine beginning between the fifth and ninth weeks. Before birth, the urine made by the kidneys contributes to the amount of amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby. The amniotic fluid is important for the lungs development and maturing as well as giving the baby a "cushion" and providing him or her space to move.

Twenty to thirty percent of birth defects diagnosed prenatally (before birth) have to do with the urinary tract. Unilateral (one side) multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) occurs in 1 in 1,000 to 4,300 babies born. MCDK is most commonly seen in Caucasian (white) babies. MCDK is seen slightly more often in boys than girls. Cases in girls are two times more likely to have bilateral (affecting both kidneys) MCDK disease along with other birth defects. The two most common birth defects seen with MCDK that are not related to the urinary tract are esophageal atresia (a condition in which the esophagus, or food pipe,  does not connect to the stomach) and heart problems. Esophageal atresia can be fixed with surgery. Most cases of MCDK occur on one side, most often on the left side.  

Sometimes MCDK will be seen on both sides (1 in 10,000 live births) *That would mean we are the only people in the Allstate Arena if every seat was filled to get this*  or will be seen on one side with no kidney on the other side. Both of these conditions are lethal. Lethal means that the baby cannot survive after birth because there is no treatment to fix the problem.  One of the biggest reasons that these conditions are lethal is because the urine made by the kidneys adds to the amniotic fluid. If there are no kidneys or the kidneys do not function and make amniotic fluid, the baby's lungs will not develop. The amniotic fluid is needed for the baby's lungs to grow and mature. However, as long as one kidney is working there should be an enough amniotic fluid for the lungs to grow and mature. 

Multicystic dysplasia of the kidney is the most common cause of an abdominal mass in the newborn. Other names used to describe this condition can include multicystic kidney and multicystic renal dysplasia.  The ultrasound pictures will show a large, echogenic (bright white) kidney with multiple cysts (fluid filled masses) of various sizes. The MCDK kidney has little or no function. In the past, before the more routine use of ultrasound with pregnancy, these were diagnosed on physical exam after birth. However, today about 70 percent are seen on ultrasound before the baby is born. The cause of the disorder is not known.  It is suspected that it is the result of an early blockage. In other words, the flow of urine was blocked somewhere along its pathy from the cortex of the kidney before it could exit the body. We know it is not caused by anything the mother did or did not do. 


The difference between this diagnosis and the original one of poly cystic kidney disorder is that the poly form is genetic. I do not want to be with out hope , but reading things like that makes me just cringe. PLEASE KEEP PRAYING THAT ONE OF THE KIDNEY'S WILL START TO FUNCTION.


I am still waiting to hear back from the University of Kansas.... Tomorrow will be a good day. I get to meet with my friend Teri and see Maggie. Poor thing keeps having the hiccups .. at least I know she is still here.