# Borderline bilateral ventriculomegaly at 22w - support thread!



## Tulip

This is now a support thread for those who have received an initial diagnosis of borderline ventriculomegaly at their anomaly scan. :)
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Hello lovelies.

My little active man is doing so well but yesterdays scan showed the ventricles in his brain slightly enlarged (0.1mm about the normal range).

It's not a lot and may well resolve itself over the next couple of months, but after losing his big sister to a poorly head, naturally I am pooping my pants. We have a consultant appointment next Thursday, so Google and BnB will have to suffice in the meantime 

On the up side his growth seems fine, he's VERY active and he responds to the sonographer's touch (turning over when commanded ) so neurologically he seems fine at the moment. I think we just have to hope it doesn't grow. I guess that means we get to see him more often anyway! We've not yet seen any soft markers for Downs, and his hands are open which seems to rule out Edwards Syndrome. Though I anticipate yet another (our third!) anomaly scan to check these things closely.

Anyone had any experience with this? Am trying to stay calm and carry on planning for his arrival....


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## Drazic<3

Hey hun,

I am so sorry you are being put through this, it's no wonder you are scared. Chances are, it will resolve itself and it will be one of those things you would never even have known about if it wasn't for the extra scanning. 0.1 is very little, and could even be some kind of blur on the scan! All other signs seem fantastic - and don't forget they are more likely to be enlarged without problems in boys. 

Sending love :hugs:


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## Tulip

OK I think three things are key today:

1. Does the initial measurement of 10.1mm appear to have been correct?
2. Has the measurement changed since Friday?
3. Can you find any other abnormalities which have so far not been picked up?

And also: does the cerebellum look normal? Can you see the corpus callosum? Will we be sent for a TORCH screening?
Up to this stage we have seen NO markers for Downs - nasal bone is present and good. Nuchal Translucency was normal at 12w, nuchal fold in normal range at 22w. His movement is free and his hands are unclenched, suggesting no Edwards Syndrome. Fetal growth, amniotic fluid and cord are normal. His head, face, spine, neck and skin, chest, four-chamber view and great vessels, abdominal wall, gastro-intestinal tract, kidneys and bladder, extremities and skeleton all appear normal. It's just his brain missing from that list.

We will be requesting that they change his EDD to that which he measured at his 12w scan (since we had our 12w scan hospital policy has changed and they now amend EDD based on those measurements). I know that I ovulated four, probably five days late, and at 12w he was measuring three days behind my LMP (indicating implantation at 5 dpo like his big sister - maybe I have short tubes :shrug:). I want his EDD changed because he is showing small on all the charts apart from his head and I want to have a better idea of how he's doing. Granted, it'll push his head measurement up, but by my calcs not excessively. From what I've seen all his other measurements are bang on.

If no other abnormalities nor an increase in ventricular size are found then I will be inclined to relax a little. If not.... the worry ramps up.


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## Megg33k

Stalking for your update this afternoon! Text me! Please?


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## Tulip

UPDATE:
OK so we went back on Friday.

The same lady that scanned us last week did another full anomaly scan and straight away we could see that the vents were measuring smaller (9mm max).

Consultant came in and also did full scan. The biggest measurement she could get was 8.6 and this was at the worst angle possible (baby is a real little wriggler - breech, cephalic and transverse positioning withing the space of 5 minutes). She was explaining to the sonographer that the vent you're measuring should be on the bottom of the screen (furthest from the probe I think) in order to get an accurate measurement due to the angle. I clearly remember her measuring BOTH vents from the same screen shot last week and think this is where it went wrong.

I also drank less on the day of the scan to see if that made any difference, but I think the major reason for our borderline measurement was operator error.

After losing Ruby to a poorly head, and having this hang over us for a week, having someone say "Your baby appears to be completely normal" is the most amazing feeling. For the first time in six months I can relax :cloud9: He has, after all, had four anomaly scans!

Hope this helps someone in the future x


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## babybel

HI hun, 
So glad to hear its good news  I see your in Kent, not far from me, can I ask where you had your scan?

xx


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## Tulip

Thanks hon! We are at Medway Maritime. I didn't have high hopes but they have been absolutely fantastic and looked after us fabulously - there must be a flag on the system saying 'treat with compassion' because as soon as they pull up my record they are very thoughtful x


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## Emmylou27

Tulip said:


> After losing Ruby to a poorly head, and having this hang over us for a week, having someone say "Your baby appears to be completely normal" is the most amazing feeling. For the first time in six months I can relax :cloud9: He has, after all, had four anomaly scans!

This is fabulous news hon. Have been following your story with interest - despite folic acid being taken our first has undetected spina bifida and hydrocephalus so I can kind of sympathise with what you've been through and am so, so pleased for you that everything looks ok.

To be told everything looks normal is a huge weight off your mind isn't it? I would say with four detailed scans, it looks like everything is :happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance::happydance:

Hope all goes well for you xx


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## Tulip

Thanks Emmy - maaaaan, Daisy is gorgeous! Xx


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## butterfly71

Hi Tulip, 
I found this thread while googling ventriculomegaly, I hope you don'tmind if I ask you a few questions.
I've just been going through a similar thing with my baby - at the 19 week scan they found enlarged ventricles, just over 10 for one and just over 11 for the other. But when they were measuring (my baby is a wriggler as well!) they actually ranged from 9 - 11mm. One week later as I was being prepped for an amnio they measured again and they had gone down to 7.6 and 8.3mm. Couldn't believe it! 
It seems like an unusual thing for them to go back down to normal so quickly and so I was really interested to read your case. We have still been warned of a risk of chromosomal error just becuase it was above 10mm at any point so are contemplating having an amnio at around 27 weeks. (I'm 24 weeks now)
How long between scans did your baby's ventricles change size?
Did you have an amnio?
Even though our baby looks like yours (everything else measuring and behaving perfectly, all views of the brain showing normal structures, TORCH neg etc) they are still saying that because of that one bad ultrasound it increases a risk of trisomy by 9. I would be really interested if you had been told the same thing, or they just said now that its normal you can relax!
Thanks, 
Andrea


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## Tulip

Hey Andrea, I'm sorry you're having to go through this worry :hug:

They have told us to go home and enjoy him abs that he seems normal. The combined scan at 12w gave us 1:22000 and 1:12000 risk of trisomy 18 and 21 respectively and is has not been mentioned at all in respect of the ventriculomegaly. 

The measurements were taken exactly a week apart and we were not offered an amnio. In fact, the initial measurements were so borderline that the sonographer did not order a TORCH screen, so she was obviously unsure of her results. It seems perfectly plausible for your little ones vents to have reduced to that extent, having read the longest thread ever on another forum (you've probably found it on your Google journey). Trying to measure something so small on a little wriggler is also v tricky and if the angle of the slice-through on the u/s isn't exactly right the vents WILL appear bigger. I do think there was an element of operator error with us as she was measuring both vents from the same image the one being measured must be at the bottom of the shot (furthest from the probe) according to the consultant who signed us off

I'm sure all is fine - please, please let us know how you get on xx


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## butterfly71

Thanks for answering, I didn't get an email update so I didn't know until I checked today.

You had great results for your NT scan, mine are much lower (1:1800) but I am 39 so I guess that is why! 

I have wondered about measuring error as well although they had 4 different doctors look at the scan pics so I don't know. 

Pretty interesting that you didn't get a TORCH screen, it seems like they really weren't too worried about it for you - which is great! I wish they had been more relaxed with us it has really caused a great deal of stress.

I'll keep an eye out for your updates as well, you are only 3 weeks ahead of me so we'll be having both our maybe/slightly ventricularly enlarged (at one point!) babies around the same time. 
Best wishes to you.
Andrea


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## Tulip

It is a shame the docs can get so over excited, sometimes they don't realise exactly how much it will affect us. Good luck to you and keep in touch. If it's any consolation we had a 4D scan yesterday (pics in my journal) and Little Munch looks perfectly normal and very, very happy. xx


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## Tulip

I just stumbled across my old thread and thought I should post an outcome. They didnt scan us again after 23 weeks and Munchkin arrived safely six days late. Here he is at six months and he is such a clever boy :cloud9:
https://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m602/tulip1uk/th_e2fa54df.jpg
I know Ventriculomegaly can have terrible outcomes but it does seem there are a lot of scares and mismeasurements around. I hope these stories can reassure people while they're being referred xx


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## janey1975

Thanks for the update and so glad your little boy is doing so well. He looks absolutely gorgeous by the way. 

I also want to reassure anybody that searches to get info on this. Our little boy (apparently it is much more common in boys as they have larger heads and more fluid than girls normally) was measuring 10mm at the 20 wk scan. She did 3 measurements and got 9, 9.5 and 10mm but because of the 10mm we got referred to the Fetal Medicine specialists at Kings that day. I was so upset thinking the baby had a problem with his brain. However, when we got to Kings the highest they could get was 8.9mm but they took blood for TORCH screening and said to come back in at 28 weeks and if it had progressed a fetal MRI would be needed. They did stress, however, that there was a very big likelihood it would be a variant of normal.

I was still really worried and 8 weeks seemed like a lifetime so I decided to book to have a scan privately with consult with Professor Nicolaides in Harley Street at the Fetal Medicine Unit. I was about 24 weeks then. We were scanned there and the measurement was recorded as 7.9mm. Like before, they looked at everything else including conducting a heart doppler scan and all was normal. The wonderful Professor came in and was so very reassuring. He said it was assymetrical (his right ventricle measurement larger than the left) but both are within the normal range (i.e., below 10mm). He said we did not need to worry and we should not have been worrying. He is amazing and I would recommend anyone who is worried to see him, he was the person who came up with the Nuchal scan amongst other wonderful things. Also, any profits from there go to the Foundation that conducts important fetal research. I immediately relaxed and started to enjoy my pregnancy.

We did still go to Kings at 28 weeks as the Prof said we might as well. The scan there found the measurement to be 7.5mm and the TORCH screen test came back negative. We were then 'signed off'. What a relief.

I think so much of this was down to the local hospital measuring incorrectly and being over-cautious. She even said at the time that had she got the 9 and 9.5mm she would not have referred. Also, she did say he was wriggling all over the place and made it hard for her to measure.

I hope anyone else going through this finds this tale reassuring. Please do not google or read too much as it will scare you (it did me!) If all the other aspects of the scan are good then it is likely to be okay.


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## Fuchsia1412

Tulip you're at Medway Maritime...??that's not the same as medway marina though is it..? We've just been to see a massive vessel at port Medway marina as my Dad decided he wanted to live on a boat...:haha:


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## Tulip

Fuchsia1412 said:


> Tulip you're at Medway Maritime...??that's not the same as medway marina though is it..? We've just been to see a massive vessel at port Medway marina as my Dad decided he wanted to live on a boat...:haha:

Haha I live not far from the Marina :) Some of the boats down there are COOL AS!


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## mare

janey1975 said:


> Thanks for the update and so glad your little boy is doing so well. He looks absolutely gorgeous by the way.
> 
> I also want to reassure anybody that searches to get info on this. Our little boy (apparently it is much more common in boys as they have larger heads and more fluid than girls normally) was measuring 10mm at the 20 wk scan. She did 3 measurements and got 9, 9.5 and 10mm but because of the 10mm we got referred to the Fetal Medicine specialists at Kings that day. I was so upset thinking the baby had a problem with his brain. However, when we got to Kings the highest they could get was 8.9mm but they took blood for TORCH screening and said to come back in at 28 weeks and if it had progressed a fetal MRI would be needed. They did stress, however, that there was a very big likelihood it would be a variant of normal.
> 
> I was still really worried and 8 weeks seemed like a lifetime so I decided to book to have a scan privately with consult with Professor Nicolaides in Harley Street at the Fetal Medicine Unit. I was about 24 weeks then. We were scanned there and the measurement was recorded as 7.9mm. Like before, they looked at everything else including conducting a heart doppler scan and all was normal. The wonderful Professor came in and was so very reassuring. He said it was assymetrical (his right ventricle measurement larger than the left) but both are within the normal range (i.e., below 10mm). He said we did not need to worry and we should not have been worrying. He is amazing and I would recommend anyone who is worried to see him, he was the person who came up with the Nuchal scan amongst other wonderful things. Also, any profits from there go to the Foundation that conducts important fetal research. I immediately relaxed and started to enjoy my pregnancy.
> 
> We did still go to Kings at 28 weeks as the Prof said we might as well. The scan there found the measurement to be 7.5mm and the TORCH screen test came back negative. We were then 'signed off'. What a relief.
> 
> I think so much of this was down to the local hospital measuring incorrectly and being over-cautious. She even said at the time that had she got the 9 and 9.5mm she would not have referred. Also, she did say he was wriggling all over the place and made it hard for her to measure.
> 
> I hope anyone else going through this finds this tale reassuring. Please do not google or read too much as it will scare you (it did me!) If all the other aspects of the scan are good then it is likely to be okay.

Thank god I came across these threads, Im not worrying as much anymore:wacko:
My baby has a 10.2mm measurement


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## Tulip

Glad we can help Mare :hugs: Are you being rescanned soon? x


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## mare

Yes I have a scan on 12th Jan (seems so long to wait though):wacko:


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## Tulip

Ugh that is an age away :( I hope the consultant measures within normal limits. Would you let us know? I'd love this thread to continue. x


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## mare

Tulip said:


> Ugh that is an age away :( I hope the consultant measures within normal limits. Would you let us know? I'd love this thread to continue. x

Yes Tulip, I will keep you up to date with my situation x your little boy is a real cutie :hugs:


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## zozarini

Hi girls,

thanks you so much for this thread/ I have been searching for over a week to find useful info on this topic, without much luck!!

At our 20 weeks scan our measurment was 10.4mm, we are back on the 10th (Tuesday) for a re-scan! It was a consultant that conducted our 20 week scan, he said that baby was in awkward postition so he never checked heart, spine or kidneys(Not sure if he was just saying that) so we shall see what tuesday brings.

Thanks again for making me feel a bit better - You always think the worst!

Good luck for Thursday Mare xx


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## Tulip

Good luck this week both of you :hugs:


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## janey1975

Good luck to both of you. I will be thinking of you both this week. Please update when you can. I know it is really worrying but the likelihood is that all will be well.

By the way, my little man was born on the 9th August with no problems at all. He is a gorgeous and healthy little boy (on the 95th percentile for weight and height even though born on the 25th percentile).

Love to you both x


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## zozarini

Thanks for the support mamma's and sharing your stories, it has given me comfort.

My appt is at 2pm this afternoon, so leaving work shortly to go to hosital. Will keep you updated on how it goes xxx


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## Tulip

Thinking of you :hugs:


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## janey1975

Been thinking of you all day today. Please let us know what happened when you can. Lots of love to you x


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## zozarini

Hi Girls,

Sorry my interent would not work in the house last night!! Grr. (In work now)

Well I am delighted to say that all looked "Normal" the ventricle measuring 8mm now so in the correct range. My placenta had also moved up (That was Anterior low a couple weeks ago) 
The sonographer did say that these things tend to develop more further along?? Felt although she thought i was making it up (As the consiltant scanned me 2 weeks ago) I had to tell her about the high measurments! So she said all looking as it should be for now but thats not to say that it cant rise again... (right Mrs. Negative! eh)

So we were delighted!! We can deal with whatever happens in the future but so re-assuring to know that at present he is measuring as he should be! Pheeeew!

I can stop googling and imagining the worst!

Thank you again ladies for your support and stories. Its nice to know you arent alone in these things, whether it be for real or just a blip/scare.

xxxxx


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## Tulip

:happydance: Thats fantastic news, congratulations! Now enjoy him :)


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## janey1975

GREAT NEWS - CONGRATS!

I echo what Tulip says, make sure you enjoy the pregnancy now. I don't think the measurement would go up. In my experience when it was measured at 24 and 28 weeks they went down. And remember, they have found no other issues either so you are in the clear. I know it is difficult to feel really relieved sometimes because you gear yourself up for an issue but please make sure you relax now. I know how nervous it makes you and then it is hard to come down for that.

Take care all the best x


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## zozarini

Thanks Tulip & Janey! I know i am just going to try and foget it all and move on! sometimes the technology is more a curse than a help! But feeling him kick away and knowing all is looking good has got me back to feeling excited! Will just chill out and take it as it comes.

I said a wee prayer for him and got what I asked for.. so someone must be looking after us!!

I will say a little one for Mare and hope she hears the same as us tomorrow! xxxx


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## mare

zozarini said:


> Hi Girls,
> 
> Sorry my interent would not work in the house last night!! Grr. (In work now)
> 
> Well I am delighted to say that all looked "Normal" the ventricle measuring 8mm now so in the correct range. My placenta had also moved up (That was Anterior low a couple weeks ago)
> The sonographer did say that these things tend to develop more further along?? Felt although she thought i was making it up (As the consiltant scanned me 2 weeks ago) I had to tell her about the high measurments! So she said all looking as it should be for now but thats not to say that it cant rise again... (right Mrs. Negative! eh)
> 
> So we were delighted!! We can deal with whatever happens in the future but so re-assuring to know that at present he is measuring as he should be! Pheeeew!
> 
> I can stop googling and imagining the worst!
> 
> Thank you again ladies for your support and stories. Its nice to know you arent alone in these things, whether it be for real or just a blip/scare.
> 
> xxxxx

FANTASTIC NEWS :happydance:


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## mare

Hi ladies 
Thank you all for your support and well wishes 

Sorry I havent been on to update until now.

All is good measuring 8.2mm :happydance::happydance::happydance:

All that worry all those tears for the last 2 weeks!!!

The scanwas amazing, they did this infa red thing where you could see the blood pumping through the babys heart.

I have another scan in 2 weeks just to measure again but all is well


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## mare

zozarini said:


> Thanks Tulip & Janey! I know i am just going to try and foget it all and move on! sometimes the technology is more a curse than a help! But feeling him kick away and knowing all is looking good has got me back to feeling excited! Will just chill out and take it as it comes.
> 
> I said a wee prayer for him and got what I asked for.. so someone must be looking after us!!
> 
> I will say a little one for Mare and hope she hears the same as us tomorrow! xxxx

Great news for the both of us :hugs:


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## Tulip

Oh that is just fantastic Mare! :happydance: What wonderful news all round :)


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## janey1975

That is absolutely wonderful news, I am so so so so pleased and relieved. I know how much upset and panic it causes. I don't think unless you have been through it that others really can know what it is like. You imagine the worst and the relief you feel is immmense. So pleased for you mare.

Yeah, the heart doppler scan thing is amazing. It's so reassuring when you see the heart functioning as it should. 

Good luck for the scan in a couple of weeks - not that you need it. I suspect the measurement will be the same or even smaller.

Thanks for updating and enjoy your pregnancy now! Love to you and your little one x


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## zozarini

Sorry just checked the thread.

Brilliant Mare.. so glad all is looking well for you and baba!! It is such a relief isnt it!!

WOO. Just makes you realise how much you love the little one before its even here! xxx


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## Sweetk1

Hi I just wanted to update with my story in case anybody googles VM.

My NT measurement was 2.5mm the sonographer told me that it was normal and I was sent away with my scan pics. 
I had a call a couple of days later to say that combined with my blood my Downs risk was 1:115. I'm 28 yrs old.
I was referred to Kings College for a CVS, which all came back normal, and told me it was a boy.

I also had my 20 week scan at Kings, which was normal. Although they did tell me that my boy was measuring big, particularly his head but everything looked normal. They asked me to come back at 28 weeks for a re-scan on growth.

My 28 week scan was fine, he was measuring 3 weeks ahead in head and abdominal circ, on the 97th centile. His ventricle measured 8.6 which was fine. 
Because of his growth they advised a growth scan at my local hospital at 32 weeks. I was discharged from Kings.

At my 33 week scan the sonographer said that the posterior ventricle measured 11.5mm. I wad referred to my consultant who measured it every 2 weeks, she got different measurements depending on the angle, she said it's very hard to measure late on in pregnancy.

She diagnosed Mild VM.
I had a normal CVS and TORCH was negative so she said it was isolated and mild. Again he was measuring big, all measurements over 95th centile.

I was induced at 39 weeks and he was born on Xmas day 9lb 8oz, HC was 37cm. He was scanned at 8 hours old and the VM remained.
They got an accurate measurement of 12.5mm it's unilateral. All other parts of the brain looked normal, no evidence of bleeding, no cysts, normal fluid flow.

My son is now 1 month old, he's doing great. He's very strong, putting on weight fine, very alert. 

He is being rescanned in 2 weeks time.
Who knows what the future holds, when it comes to the brain you never know.


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## zozarini

Sweetk1 said:


> Hi I just wanted to update with my story in case anybody googles VM.
> 
> My NT measurement was 2.5mm the sonographer told me that it was normal and I was sent away with my scan pics.
> I had a call a couple of days later to say that combined with my blood my Downs risk was 1:115. I'm 28 yrs old.
> I was referred to Kings College for a CVS, which all came back normal, and told me it was a boy.
> 
> I also had my 20 week scan at Kings, which was normal. Although they did tell me that my boy was measuring big, particularly his head but everything looked normal. They asked me to come back at 28 weeks for a re-scan on growth.
> 
> My 28 week scan was fine, he was measuring 3 weeks ahead in head and abdominal circ, on the 97th centile. His ventricle measured 8.6 which was fine.
> Because of his growth they advised a growth scan at my local hospital at 32 weeks. I was discharged from Kings.
> 
> At my 33 week scan the sonographer said that the posterior ventricle measured 11.5mm. I wad referred to my consultant who measured it every 2 weeks, she got different measurements depending on the angle, she said it's very hard to measure late on in pregnancy.
> 
> She diagnosed Mild VM.
> I had a normal CVS and TORCH was negative so she said it was isolated and mild. Again he was measuring big, all measurements over 95th centile.
> 
> I was induced at 39 weeks and he was born on Xmas day 9lb 8oz, HC was 37cm. He was scanned at 8 hours old and the VM remained.
> They got an accurate measurement of 12.5mm it's unilateral. All other parts of the brain looked normal, no evidence of bleeding, no cysts, normal fluid flow.
> 
> My son is now 1 month old, he's doing great. He's very strong, putting on weight fine, very alert.
> 
> He is being rescanned in 2 weeks time.
> Who knows what the future holds, when it comes to the brain you never know.


Thank you for sharing your story! Glad to hear your wee one is doing well and I will keep everything crossed it remains that way xxx


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## janey1975

Sweetk1, Thanks for sharing your story. Please do let us know how it goes in two weeks time. It sounds like all is well, although I know how difficult it is not to worry about it. My sons measurement was larger on one side than the other but Professor Nikolaides did not seem concerned.

One thing I still don't understand is what is mild VM? I know that sounds strange but do you know what the outcome/effect of this is? It's weird because for many of us on here it has been a case of boys with rather large heads, so can't that just be the way they are? I mean, before scans were used and this measurement taken it's entirely possible many people have a larger measurement on one side and are none the wiser? My baby's head is on the 98th percentile but he is also on the 91st percentile (or just above) for weight and height, so just a big boy. It sounds like your case is similar.

I am not sure this technology is a help or a curse. We have all been put through quite a bit and yet all seems 'normal' if that makes sense?


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## Sweetk1

My paediatrician said exactly that! We have no idea how many people are walking around with one vent larger than the other or large vents. If I had not had the scan at 33 weeks I would have been none the wiser.

Mild VM is a measurement between 10mm and 15mm anything over that is classed as severe. If it's progressive it turns into Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and some babies require a shunt. I think it's important to rule out any other brain abnormalities. 

There have been various studies on VM and some children have minor problems meeting milestones and intellectual problems but the studies are old and have not been followed up properly. Other studies say that when the enlargement is an isolated finding, and unilateral it's often just a benign thing.

They do say boys Vents are generally bigger than girls. 
My sons weight and height are on the 95th centile too, his head was on the 98th but now around 91st. It's been that way since 20 weeks of pregnancy.

I worried so much for so long but I have cone to accept what will be will be, he's my son and I love him no matter what.
I am hopeful though as he seems great, I just hope it hasn't increased at all.


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## janey1975

Thanks for the reply Sweetk1. What you have said is very similar to what I had heard too. I really do think it's such a scary experience to go through. It really does sound like your boy is just big, like mine. Also, we are talking mm's. I am not convinced sometimes that all measurements are symmetrical. Prof Nicolaides put it well to me when he said that nobody is perfectly symmetrical and with no other issues found I should never have been worried. 

In terms of my baby's development, he seems to be meeting all the milestones. I am super vigilant though (far too much) and panic if I think he is behind at all. I did (and sometimes still do) worry about his head control but the health visitor was not concerned and thought it was good. I just think because he has a big head it can wobble a little. I do hate the way I scrutinise his every move because of what happened and wish I could relax more. How are you about it all? I know your boy is a lot younger.

I am also from Essex too, another thing we have in common. I won't name my hospital but I don't have much faith that the original measurement that triggered the referral to King's was that reliable (she got 9, 9.5mm and 10mm but felt she needed to refer because of having one measurement of 10mm). The equipment at the hospital was really old, especially when you compare it to Kings and the Fetal Medicine Unit. It says it all when within 4 hours it went from 10mm (local hosp) to 8.7mm (Kings).

Anyway, enough of my moaning. I am sure his measurement will not have increased and nothing more will come of it. Good luck for two weeks time and do let us know x


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## blkdiamond

Oh thank goodness for this thread. I had a growth scan because I was measuring big and they found enlarged ventricle of 12.1 on the left and 10.3 on the right at 29 weeks. I also have a big baby (girl),she was measuring large on everything, with polyhydraminos thrown in too. Obviously I am distraught:cry:. I get rescanned in 2 weeks and told I may need fetal MRI scan. At least I feel a little hope now that things work out in most cases.


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## Tulip

Good luck to you mama :hugs: I hope your little girl is fine :kiss:


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## janey1975

Good luck to you blkdiamond. I know that these two weeks will seem to go really slow, so try to keep yourself busy and your mind off it (if at all possible). Sounds like you have a strong little girl. Please let us know how you get on. Lots of love to you x


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## Sweetk1

Blkdiamond- please google I am pregnant-ventriculomegaly.
It is a forum specifically for VM. Ignore the first couple of posts as some ladies were having a disagreement but if you go back through the pages (there are hundreds) you will read some really encouraging stories. Loads of mums with VM diagnosis. And you will fine 90% of them have perfectly fine babies


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## blkdiamond

Thank you so much for the support and info. I will keep you all updated with how things go.


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## mare

blkdiamond said:


> Oh thank goodness for this thread. I had a growth scan because I was measuring big and they found enlarged ventricle of 12.1 on the left and 10.3 on the right at 29 weeks. I also have a big baby (girl),she was measuring large on everything, with polyhydraminos thrown in too. Obviously I am distraught:cry:. I get rescanned in 2 weeks and told I may need fetal MRI scan. At least I feel a little hope now that things work out in most cases.

Hi Hun,
What would we have done without this thread!!!
I know its so hard to cope :cry: esp when you start to google I wasnt too bad until I googled it!
After speaking to many people and reading this thread I realised that enlarged ventricles was quite common!
:hugs: The 2 week wait feels like a lifetime!!
Sending my hopes and prayers for your family and your baby girl to be safe and well x x x


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## blkdiamond

Had my follow up appointment today. Things were very much the same. The left ventricle was still 12mm and the right had gotten a little smaller and is now below 10mm. I have to go for a MRI scan next week and have weekly ultrasounds aswell.


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## janey1975

blkdiamond said:


> Had my follow up appointment today. Things were very much the same. The left ventricle was still 12mm and the right had gotten a little smaller and is now below 10mm. I have to go for a MRI scan next week and have weekly ultrasounds aswell.

Thanks for the update. It's great that the right is slightly smaller, now at the top end of tolerance. And remember the right ventricle is still only slightly higher than tolerance. I know how distressing this must be for you but if you can try to remember that things often work out fine.

I am not sure where you are based but if you want a second opinion on it then I cannot recommend Professor Nicolaides enough. He is based at the Fetal Medicine Unit at Harley Street and was the person who set up the World renowned centre at Kings in London. He is absolutely wonderful and even though you have to pay to get scanned he offers his consult for free (if you go on a Wednesday) and all profits go back into research. He is the best in the World and I have the biggest respect for the work he does. When I mentioned his name to a consultant at my local hospital you could see the admiration and respect in her eyes. Personally, I would have travelled all night and day to see him. Words cannot express my gratitude to him.

The unit's website is here:https://www.fetalmedicine.com/fmc/

Sorry, I really sound like I am being pushy here. I suppose I feel like he saved my son's life in a way (and my mental well-being), so I can't say enough positive things about him.

Best of luck for the MRI; I hope it all goes well. Please keep us up to date. I have been thinking of you and will continue to do so. :hugs:


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## Sweetk1

Blkdiamond- that is good news as the vents appear stable. Anything is better than them increasing. 
My son has his ultrasound on Monday, he will be 7 weeks old. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that if his hasn't reduced it has St least remained the same. He's doing well though, I'm slightly concerned about his weight gain but he's drinking 36 once per day which is good but I'm noticing he just seems to be getting longer and longer, he was about 65 cm today when I measured his length, I think all the nutrition is going into that!


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## samjc1531c

I am so glad i have found this forum, i had my 20 week scan last tuesday and the scan woman said im sorry but the ventricle is larger than it should be i will have to refer you to the fetal medical centre i was shocked i didnt get a picture or anything it was if she wrote my baby off there and then!
we went to the fetal medicine centre on friday after what i can only describe as one of the most harrowing times of my life (my other having cervical cancer when pregnany with my now 8 yr old son).
The consultant was wonderful who i saw she explained everything said i would know the sex which we wanted and would have as many pics as we wanted before we left her. The measurement was slightly lower at 10.4 mm on one and the other normal at 7mm. She said there is not a single thing physically wrong with any organs hands feet face etc and the cerebellum spaces etc are fine it is just the 1 ventricle. She said she is not overly concerned and that she will monitor it every 2 weeks but i could have the torque test and an MRI scan, i initially refused (dont know why) but then she exlained that this was more of a way to rule things out than find out as she does not feel its a worry.
The first scan person at local hospital said the head measured large and the specialist consultant said the head is a perfect measurment and hits the average size and we are having a boy!!!!!!!!! she went onto explain how common large ventricles are in boys. I am feeling a lot more focused than last week but can still feel worries creeping in building upto the next scan and MRI results :( , i read awful stories on net about terminations at 23 weeks in regards to enlarged ventricles and frightened myself to death!!
I am so thankful to janey1975 for putting me onto this thread it has really helped me not feel im alone and have gained so much comfort and reassurance from the stories.xxxxx


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## Butterflylts

I am so pleased to have found this thread and thank you to all of you who have posted on here as it has just made me feel so much better. It's seem like no one I know has ever heard I this before!

So I am almost 33 weeks pregnant with my second child ( a boy this time). When I went for my 20 week scan they measured both ventricles to be between 10 and 11 mm. They immediately took my blood for a TORCH scan which thankfully came back negative. I have since returned 3 times for scans at 22 weeks, 26 weeks and 32 weeks and each time they both measured between 9mm and 10mm. so they have reduced since my 20 week scan and hve sine remained the same. At each scan they have reassured me that because everything else looks normal, this is most likely a variant of normal, however, after my 32 week scan the sonographer called me and suggested I see professor nikolaides on Wednesday just to be sure I don't need to have a fetal MRI scan. I'm trying hard not to worry and keep my spirits up but it's has been hard and I am so pleased I finally have come across a place where others understand what this is all about!


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## Butterflylts

I am so sorry to hear you are g through this. I am 32 weeks pregnant and have been going through this since my 20 wk scan too. So, did you have an MRI? All this time they haven't offered Me one but I'm wondering why now. I go back to the fetal medical centre for an app with the professor there this week to see what he thinks. How long does an MRI take to get results? Did they do it there? anyway, I know how horrible it feels and how scary all of this is, but my boy's ventricles reduced slightly from my 20 wk scan, they are both between 9 and 10mm now, really with the maximum measurement looking at about 9.8 ( one was 10.5 at my 20wk scan).


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## Butterflylts

janey1975 said:


> blkdiamond said:
> 
> 
> Had my follow up appointment today. Things were very much the same. The left ventricle was still 12mm and the right had gotten a little smaller and is now below 10mm. I have to go for a MRI scan next week and have weekly ultrasounds aswell.
> 
> Thanks for the update. It's great that the right is slightly smaller, now at the top end of tolerance. And remember the right ventricle is still only slightly higher than tolerance. I know how distressing this must be for you but if you can try to remember that things often work out fine.
> 
> I am not sure where you are based but if you want a second opinion on it then I cannot recommend Professor Nicolaides enough. He is based at the Fetal Medicine Unit at Harley Street and was the person who set up the World renowned centre at Kings in London. He is absolutely wonderful and even though you have to pay to get scanned he offers his consult for free (if you go on a Wednesday) and all profits go back into research. He is the best in the World and I have the biggest respect for the work he does. When I mentioned his name to a consultant at my local hospital you could see the admiration and respect in her eyes. Personally, I would have travelled all night and day to see him. Words cannot express my gratitude to him
> 
> Sorry, I really sound like I am being pushy here. I suppose I feel like he saved my son's life in a way (and my mental well-being), so I can't say enough positive things about him.
> 
> Best of luck for the MRI; I hope it all goes well. Please keep us up to date. I have been thinking of you and will continue to do so. :hugs:Click to expand...

I am so pleased to read this about professor nikolaides. I am seeing him on Wednesday and I almost decided not to because I have had so many scans an each time I walk away just as confused as I walked in. I'm really praying he will look me in the eyes and say "your baby is fine". The ventricles bothe measure between 9mm and 10mm. One is around 9.2 and the other is about 9.6 on my last scan. TORCH neg but haven't had an MRI. I hope he can at last reassure me. Been an emotional roller pasted since my 20 wk scan x


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## Tulip

Welcome to both of you! I'm so pleased that measurements have reduced in both your boys - brilliant!

Sam, sounds to me like it is a 'variant' in your LO, I hope the results bring you relief :)

Butterfly, I'd go just to meet the Prof! He's an absolute legend by all accounts. I'm surprised they've referred you with the vents within the normal range but it'd be awesome to get the all-clear from the prof himself. 

Please keep us updated :) xx


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## Butterflylts

Thanks for your response Tulip. I know, this was my concern. I have been going to the fetal medical centre throughout so maybe they just thought I might as well see him for a final check?. I did ask them if there was anything else of concern and she said no, it's just she wanted to double double check that I don't need an MRI... But of course it's tough because then you have the waiting/ nerves all over again. Anyway, it's nice to hear we'll be in safe hands and I'm really praying I'll finally get the "sign off"


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## Butterflylts

So I went to have a scan with professor nikolaides today at the fetal medical centre on harley st and at last was given the all clear! He didn't think an mmr was necessary and i finally feel like i can start enjoying my pregnancy again. I wish I had gone to see him at the beginning of all of this. To anyone going through this, I agree with Tulip and highly highly recommend going to see professor nikolaides. There's nothing worse than walking out of a scan confused and he certainly knows his stuff! Anyway, I am feeling very thankful that things are looking good and I wish anyone else who visits this forum all the best x


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## Tulip

Congratulations! So very happy for you - enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and mummyhood :)


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## sam1531c

congratulations for getting the all clear. wish you all the best for your pregnancy and new arrival.xxxx


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## Butterflylts

Thank you! I just re read my post and It meant to say MRI not mmr ( sorry for the confusion). Sam have you got your MRI results yet and when is your next scan? Hopefully it makes you feel a bit better that at 20 weeks my boys ventricles were both measuring between 10 and 11 and by the time I got to 23 weeks they had reduced to Between 9 and 10 mm. Did you do the TORCH test? Anyway, sending you my best wishes, I really do think everything will be fine for your baby boy. x


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## sam1531c

Thank you butterfly, i have the MRI tomorrow and had the torqhe (not sure how spelt) last week. i go back to see the consultant tuesday for a rescan and results. I saw midwife today and she reminded me that whilst i am now worrying over the mri i should remind myself that it was optional and the consultant wasnt overly concerned to push me for it. 
its a worrying time and i only hope that they havent grown more when i go for a scan tuesday, it has given me soooo much hope that your little boys reduced and i am sooo happy for you. The consultant who is soo good couldnt express how much that at 20 weeks it is so common for boys ventricles to be larger and it is in the next 4 weeks to follow that they shrink as the head grows. fingers crossed thats what happens with my little man...who my 8 year old son has names 'archie' xxx


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## sam1531c

forgot to say ive taken part in a study aswell, my profession is as a social worker and am currently at university doing my nurse training and was aproached to take part in research as to wether or not NHS should fund MRI scans in situations when ventricles are only slightly enlarged or wether it is not good use of money and causes more stress to parents to be having the scan and waiting for results, also if an MRI changes the course of action arents take as the ventricles are only slightly enlarged.
Any feedback in regards to MRI experiences apreciated...i personally feel quite stressed by it but my husband says hed rather know and be forewarned if there is anything.
Sorry for rambling on.x


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## Sweetk1

Quick update- well my son is 7 weeks old now, he's adorable such a good baby.
His right vent was between 10-11 during pregnancy. When he was born they scanned him through the fontanelle and the right ventricle was 12.6 and the other normal.
Fast forward 7 weeks, his right vent is now 17mm.
My consultant is not overly concerned about the measurement yet, but i am obviously.
All of my tests were clear too, CVS TORCH. 
I think eventually my son may need a shunt, but I'm ok with that if it saves his life.
Other than that he's doing great, smiling away at me.
I wish everyone the best of luck, and remember large or asymmetrical vents are actually a lot more common than you think.
97% of vents measuring 12mm or less have a normal neurodevelopment outcome.
77% if the vents are between 12-15mm


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## blkdiamond

hello all. After a rescan on monday the ventricles measured differently, both were about 11mm. They found i had parvovirus but was not sure if it was recent or a past infection. I was reffered to the fetal medical centre at kings where i had a detailed scan and an amino. My mri is in about a week. I worry because this problem is not common in girls so i feel there is more chance of an underlying problem.

To those who have the all clear congratulations. 

sweetK1, i know it is hard but if the consultant is not worried that is a good sign. I send my prayers to your LO and to all going through this.


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## Tulip

Oh Blkdiamond I'm sorry it doesn't seem to be going too well for you :hugs: If I remember my research rightly, the enlarged vents may be a leftover reaction from the parovirus and therefore not something that will increase the size of the vents in time. I wonder also if the polyhydraminos may also have an effect. I hope the MRI gives some reassurance and the amnio results are clear.

Sweetk1 your little boy sounds like an absolute joy, I bet he's a right cutie. Hopefully docs will decide on a shunt sooner rather than later for you :kiss:


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## Butterflylts

sam1531c said:


> Thank you butterfly, i have the MRI tomorrow and had the torqhe (not sure how spelt) last week. i go back to see the consultant tuesday for a rescan and results. I saw midwife today and she reminded me that whilst i am now worrying over the mri i should remind myself that it was optional and the consultant wasnt overly concerned to push me for it.
> its a worrying time and i only hope that they havent grown more when i go for a scan tuesday, it has given me soooo much hope that your little boys reduced and i am sooo happy for you. The consultant who is soo good couldnt express how much that at 20 weeks it is so common for boys ventricles to be larger and it is in the next 4 weeks to follow that they shrink as the head grows. fingers crossed thats what happens with my little man...who my 8 year old son has names 'archie' xxx

Archie, that is SUCH a cute name.. So, how did the MRI go? Did they give you any more information today? I hope it went well and wasn't too stressful x


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## samjc1531c

Oh butterflylts what can i say!!!!
the mri was the worse experience ive had in years. I was in tears for an hour after and im not the most emotional person. They did tell me with being pregnant it would be uncomfortable well there was no room and i managed to stick it out for 15 minutes then ended up having a slight panic attack from being so enclosed. I had to press the buzzer to be got out The scan woman said she was struggling to get good images due to how active my baby was with the noises which she said was normal and that i may have to be recalled back, i was so upset i said im sorry but im not coming back i cant physically go through it. The only positive is that my consultant at the fetal medical centre did not push me for the mri and said we could decide ourselves but that it wouldnt alter anything as she was quite sure nothing major would show so we definately said we would have it done as the more information we had the better, but i feel so awful that it didnt go well but im back with the consultant next tuesday so will see what the rescan shows that is what i am more nervous about as im hoping it hasnt grown from 10.4mm. 
sorry for babbling on (again), another good point is my little man is moving non stop and im now feeling kicks as well as flutters


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## samjc1531c

blkdiamond, what i want to say is try not to worry but i cant follow that advice for myself as its all i do at minute, after everything ive looked at the positive is that the ventricle reading is within the lower end of what they are concerned with. I am sending a positive hug and am sure everything will be ok. :hugs:


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## samjc1531c

sweetk1, i found your update so inspiring just hearing that you have a wonderful baby who is doing well, i am soo happy for you and hope you end up getting the results you want soon.xxx:hugs:


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## Butterflylts

Sam, I am so sorry to hear it was such a traumatic experience. It's sounds horrible and v stressful and I'm surprised they suggested that before rescanning and waiting for the TORCH results. My little boys ventricles had reduced 10 days after my 20 weeks scan. Anyway, I think you are right to wait for torch results and next scan before deciding on another Mri scan. From what you have said, that baby looks normal besides the one ventricle which is only slightly enlarged I really don't think you have anything to worry about. Try to distract yourself until your next scan and torch results, I know it's hard but I'm sure you will get reassured and hopefully they will tell you an MRI isn't necessary after all. All the best x


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## sam1531c

Thanks butterflylts, yes im keeing busy ands trying to stay positive. I have now reached the conslusion that no amount of worrying i do can change things so i am trying to stay upbeat and positive, the horrendous experience i had with my first pregnancy (cervical cancer) has actually helped as i remember the worry and distress and how things came good in the end. i will be glad when tuesdays done with especially as i have just been told its a stand in consultant not my normal one who i love she is fab. xxx


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## samjc1531c

Oh my goodness!!!!!! Went back to see specialist today nervously..they said mri had shown babys ventricles normal and torque bloods normal!!! They rescanned baby and the ventricles have shrunk and are now well below the average and within normal !!! Yippee...i have to go back in 5 wks for a routine scan but not because of concerns. thank you for all your kind words and hope this gives people hope that things however bad can change.xxxxx


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## Tulip

That is absolutely fantastic! Enjoy your pregnancy! :cloud9:


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## samjc1531c

Thank you tulip..not just for your kind words now but the info and advice youve shared throughout.xxx


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## Tulip

Aww thanks hon :kiss: I'm just so glad we are able to give hope at a terrifying time, and now there is a group of us to support those who need it. 

Would be lovely to see piccies when your LOs arrive!


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## janey1975

Sorry I have not been on here for a while but been away at half term and then LO has had a virus! Anyway, I am really glad to read such positive stories on here. It's great to read that Prof Nicolaides was able to reassure someone else about their baby - he really is a god in my book.

So pleased for you Samjc. For those still waiting for news please try not to give up hope. Remember that the vast majority of cases work out really well. Thanks to whoever (sorry I can't remember) it was who provided the stats. I think a lot of us got caught around the 10mm mark at a time before the brain and the vents all settle down. 

Thinking of those still waiting to hear. So pleased this forum continues to offer lots of hope and support to others. I know how much it helped me - thanks Tulip for setting it up x


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## mare

Just reading updates and so happy for all of our positive news and thought :flower:


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## blkdiamond

I have not updated in a while. I have no more appointments for now. Amniocentesis and Fetal MRI were clear but the left ventricle is still enlarged (12mm). I am at 38 weeks now so just waiting to give birth and will hope she is okay. 

Thanks for all the support from the people on this thread.


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## janey1975

Blikdiamond thanks so much for the update; I was wondering how things are going with you. It all sounds positive. I remember being 38 weeks and feeling like time was going really slowly. I was desperate to give birth and felt really tired. My advice to you is make sure you get as much sleep as you possibly can to prepare for when she is here. People gave me that advice and I so wish I would have followed it more!

Best of luck for the birth; I am sure it will go really well and you will be overwhelmed with love when she is born. I still remember that day so well and have a really positive birth even though I was convinced it was going to be a nightmare.

When you do get a spare moment do let us know how you both are. Love and best wishes to you x


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## Tulip

So perfectly put Janey! Sending happy, calm and easy labour vibes to you, Blkdiamond xx


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## samjc1531c

Hi all, just wanted to quickly update. Ive been to fetal medicine for my 28 week scan of the ventricles and have been discharged!!!!!
The ventricles perfectly normal and everything is fine.
This has been one of the most difficult times ive ever been through and wished someone medically would have explained more at the beginning about how normal enlarged ventricles at 20 week scan can be if you are having a boy!
Thank you to everyone on here who suported me through the difficult time.xxxx:happydance:


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## Mrs C P

Hello, and thank god i found you all!!! I love this thread! 
I had my 20 week scan yesterday and they kept taking the same measurement. I did wonder why. at the end of the scan she said that a measurement in the head is borderline at 10.2. After reading this thread, I think that this measurement is the ventriculomegaly.

I have to wait until Thursday next week to see the consultant and the wait is already killing me (move over the TWW)

Could I ask, does anyone know what this would mean to the baby? does this mean that I could possibly be faced with termination due to major abnormalities? the result for downs was 1:4747 but could the Vents measurement indicate downs? they don't tell you anything in the hospital except, "dont worry" which is easier said than done isn't it?


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## samjc1531c

Hi mrs c ,
Yes i was so glad i found this thread when i had this confirmed at my 20 wk scan. Do you know the sex of the baby as i only ask because when i was told and had the worse time waiting for the consultant i researched and found that it is sooo normal for a boys ventricles to be slightly enlarged at the 20 week scan and through growth over the next few weeks they shrink back to size. I had this confirmed as being correct info by the consultant but still had tests etc as they didnt at that point know if they would shrink or grow.
I got told that if the ventricles grow but no other abnormalities are found within the scan then the likelihood with such a low reading (and yours is extremely low) would mean learning delays or learning disabilisties depending only if the ventricles grew!
We had an awful time as the baby is moving and more real to us than at maybe 10 weeks so we were devestated to think of termination. I believe everyones choices are seperate but we would have only entered into discussion about termination if there was the more serious physical disabilities aswell which would mean no quality of life but even then you dont know till your faced with it.
I had a torque blood test and an MRI but refused the amnio which i am now glad about, as when we went back the ventricles were back to normal and we would have risked miscarriage by the amnio (personal choice though). Feel free to PM me if you want to ask anything as its an awful time, this thread really helped me.xxxx:hugs:


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## Tulip

Amazing news, Sam! Congratulations! :happydance:

Mrs CP welcome to our little support group. As Sam says, slightly enlarged ventricles are much more common in boys than girls. When Munchkin was measured at 10.1 I completely freaked out, but my colleague's wife is a sonographer at Kings and she said something that sticks in my mind - the measurement is above the normal range... but we are all built slightly differently and this might be normal for YOUR baby. 

The consultant on Thursday will do another full anomaly scan to check for any other soft markers - downs, Edwards or Turners syndromes, with particular attention to the heart and the brain ventricles. Hopefully (like us) they will find the vents are normal and discharge you. Otherwise you'll be offered a TORCH screen (blood test) and possibly an MRI to get a better look at the brain, maybe an amnio. It may not be a syndrome causing the enlargement, but a blockage stopping the cerebrospinal fluid from draining properly, in which case the vents may get bigger. In severe cases this can impact upon the growth and development of te brain; in minor cases a small op can be carried out after baby arrives to install a shunt - a tube to help drain the fluid. 

This is worst case scenario though - with a measurement of 10.2 I'm very hopeful for you xxx


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## Mrs C P

Hi Sam and Tulip

thank you SOOOO much for your replies, its so nice to talk to someone about it. During the scan DH was white as a sheet so i spent all day trying to reasure him as I was fine about it, but the more i thought about it, the more i worried and the go ole hormones had me in tears all the time so was so glad to find you ladies on B&B. 

I feel loads better now, I think i was dreading the worst case senario such as termination due to some severe chromosone abnormalities, however now i know what im dealing with, i know that they wont say that on thursday. Crikey, after spending 2 and half years getting pregnant and worrying it would never happen, now pregnancy brings whole new worries. they dont tell you that in the book :dohh:

Im so pleased that your babies are absolutely fine now, tulip you can enjoy your little one and Sam you can enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. hopefully i'll be joining you on thursday. 

thanks again ladies :hugs: , i shall post again after thursday


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## Tulip

Good luck for tomorrow sweetie. Thinking of you x


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## janey1975

Mrs CP. good luck to you tomorrow. I really don't know how you have managed to wait all this time to see the Consultant - I waited a few hours and it felt like an age. Like you, I imagined the worst. I was convinced I would need to terminate and imagined all sorts of scary scenarios. But as this thread has shown, a borderline measurement is common and not normally an issue at all.

I am sure all will be good tomorrow. Your story sounds so much like other people's on here that have had a positive outcome - me, Tulip, Samjc to name just a few. Remember, they only found one borderline measurement. Had they discovered any other issues they would have told you. One borderline measurement normally means all will be well. 

As Samjc says, if you are having a boy then this is even more likely to be normal. We were told at our scan that boys often have a larger measurement anyway (something to do with larger heads and more fluid for boys). We never wanted to find out the sex of our baby but ended up knowing after the scan at 20 weeks because it was reassuring to know because its more common in boys.

As you may have read, I had other scans and a TORCH test done. They never did manage to get a measurement above 8.9mm after the initial reading of 10mm. You may very well find tomorrow that the measurement has already gone down. Our went down when we went from our local hospital at 11am to the Fetal Medicine Unit in Kings at 3.30pm (from 10mm to 8.9mm max).

Please do let us know how you get on. I genuinely mean it when I say I will be thinking of your tomorrow. I can still remember the nerves I felt laying on that bed with the scan probe searching for babies head to measure the vents. When you are lying there think of all the positive outcomes mentioned here.


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## Tulip

Wow Janey I didn't realise how quickly your measurements changed... seriously smacks of sonographer error!


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## janey1975

Tulip said:


> Wow Janey I didn't realise how quickly your measurements changed... seriously smacks of sonographer error!

Yes, I know exactly what you mean Tulip. The sonographer at the local hosp could only get the 10mm measurement once - she got 9mm, 10mm, and a 9.5mm in that order. She said that as she got the 10mm once she had to refer. When we went to Kings the equipment was so much more sophisticated - I could not believe the difference. And we were treated so well at Kings, lovely staff who are amazing at what they do. The local hosp had a grainy image and a tiny screen - I am surprised they could see anything!

I do hope all goes well for you today Mrs CP - please do post when you can x


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## samjc1531c

Mrs cp sending you lots of positive thoughts for today.hope everything has gone well.xx
janey so happy for you .xx


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## Mrs C P

Hello lovely ladies
I'm so pleased to tell you that the consultant discharged us! She called the sonographer in and asked her what problems she found as all she could see was a perfect baby :) 
Measurement was 8.9
She explained that if some babies have their head tilted in a certain way, the fluid builds up which is why it's common for measurements to change. 

I'm over the moon and happy to watch baby chewing and yawning! Soooo amazing to watch! 

Thank you sooooooo much for all your support' I really mean it, I wouldn't have got though the past week with out your replies and reassurance. :hugs:

Xxx


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## Tulip

:yipee: :happydance: :wohoo: Fantastic news!!! Yay! Congratulations and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy :kiss: xx


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## janey1975

Wonderful news Mrs CP. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

You got the same measurement as we got when we were scanned by the Consultant. So pleased for you! I know you must have been through hell this past week but at least now you know you have a healthy baby that has been thoroughly checked. It does offer lots of reassurance. I bet your DH is so relieved too.

Now go and really enjoy your pregnancy with no more worries! Another positive story for those that come on here needing support x


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## samjc1531c

Yippee!!!!!! Congratulations mrs p. fabulous news so happy for you. what a worrying time it is but at least you can look forward and enjoy the rest and on a positive it sounds like you got some lovely views of your baby.xxxx


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## phoebewyatt

Hi i had my 20 week scan yesterday at 21weeks+3days, and have been told that i need to see a fetal speicalist because something in the brain is measuring at 11mm on both sides which i have been told is borderline but its hard not to worry about this as i no nothing about it :-(. i now have to wait untill 24th april to see the specialist because she is on holiday untill then !! surely if the specialist is on holiday they should have cover?? but i will have to wait. Im just hoping like the mojority of you ladies it will go down and all will be fine. they did tell me my baby is on the larger side so could just be because of that. fingers crossed its nothing to worry about. thanks to everyone who have posted so far it makes me think more positive about this situation and that the lady could of just miss-measured because of such an active baby. fingers crosses


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## Tulip

Welcome aboard the rollercoaster, PW. As you say, bigger than average baby is very likely to equal bigger-than-average vents. feel free to vent and panic in here while you wait for your appointment - we all know how hard it is. I found it helpful to prepare a list of questions for the doc while I waited, based on all the stuff I'd read. I also had an idea of what I would and would not consider - yes to torch screen and MRI unless the MRI required sedating my very active baby, no to amnio if no other markers were present etc. It just felt like taking some control back :shrug:

xx


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## janey1975

Excellent advice Tulip, couldn't put it better myself. I had to take some control back too, that's why I paid to see Prof Nicolaides at the Fetal Medicine Unit in Harley Street. Whatever gets you through this tough time it is worth it - whether that's preparing some questions, pushing to see a different consultant who is covering, paying for a private scan in London etc. I think it is the sitting and waiting feeling powerless that is the worst thing.

I would strongly advise against googling it though because often you read the worst case scenarios. The posts on here are much more typical of what happens. Also, you may want to consider whether knowing the gender of your lovely baby is worth asking about because as you have probably read, larger vents are most common in boys.

As Tulip says please do post on here if you are worried. This time last year I was a wreck worrying (I was about 23 weeks at the time), so I know how you feel. 

Best of luck and please do keep let us know how you get on. Love to you and bump x


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## mare

Sending :hugs:


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## phoebewyatt

I did find out the sex and it is a boy as you said must be more common in boys, ive got a 3 1/2 year old daughter and my pregnancy and labour were abz fine no worrys at all. and so far my pregnancy had gone well apart from the 11mm thing that has just made me worry and it could be for no reason. but i am glad they at being carefull as i would hate to think they didnt make sure all is well. 
its funny how i hardly felt my baby move and since the scan he hasnt stopped :happydance:


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## janey1975

Congratulations on expecting a baby boy! I am sure that things are going to work out well for you. I was told that larger vents are much more common in boys. I too had no other issues when I was pg and no other issues found on the scan. As that is the same for you I am sure all will be fine at the next scan. They are just being very cautious these days. 

I am so pleased your baby is moving lots now. It was similar with me. I remember being worried before the scan that I had not felt much movement but then like you he seemed to become disco bubba after the scan!

Best of luck for when you see the consultant x


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## Steph32

Does anyone here have an experience with the "third ventricle" being enlarged?? I had a scan at 30 weeks and both the left and right lateral ventricles were within normal range but the 3rd appeared larger than normal. I don't have the exact measurement as I am waiting for the report. Can't seem to find any info on the 3rd ventricle... or even what the range of normal width is...


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## Tulip

Hi Steph I'm sorry youre going through this :hugs: From what I can Google, any measurement above 3.5mm will prompt further investigation. I'm going away for the weekend but will try and do a bit more digging around as soon as I can xx


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## Steph32

Thanks. I couldn't find much info either, and I'm confused about the measurements.. length, width etc... once I get my hands on my report I'll know more. I should be getting it by Monday.

I haven't really heard of the 3rd ventricle being enlarged without the left and right vents also enlarged... from what I found it is rare for that to be the case...

Also my son's head was measuring 4 weeks ahead, which I don't really put much weight into because I know those measurements can be inaccurate based on the baby's position, and/or everything might catch up later on. But if his large head circumference is due to something going on with his 3rd ventricle, that's where it concerns me.


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## Mrs C P

phoebewyatt said:


> Hi i had my 20 week scan yesterday at 21weeks+3days, and have been told that i need to see a fetal speicalist because something in the brain is measuring at 11mm on both sides which i have been told is borderline but its hard not to worry about this as i no nothing about it :-(. i now have to wait untill 24th april to see the specialist because she is on holiday untill then !! surely if the specialist is on holiday they should have cover?? but i will have to wait. Im just hoping like the mojority of you ladies it will go down and all will be fine. they did tell me my baby is on the larger side so could just be because of that. fingers crossed its nothing to worry about. thanks to everyone who have posted so far it makes me think more positive about this situation and that the lady could of just miss-measured because of such an active baby. fingers crosses

Hello

Hope you are ok, I had to wait a week because my consultant was on hols too, no cover it seems. Do you remember the sonographer repeatedly taking what looked like the same measurement? Did you notice all the varing measurements? When she did mine they ranged from 9.2 to 10.2 and I was thinking to myself "why does she keep measuring the same place?" it could be something so simple like my case where baby's head was tilted in such a way that the fluid didn't drain properly resulting in the larger measurement. 

Sending hugs :hugs:


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## Steph32

Tulip said:


> Hi Steph I'm sorry youre going through this :hugs: From what I can Google, any measurement above 3.5mm will prompt further investigation. I'm going away for the weekend but will try and do a bit more digging around as soon as I can xx

Well I got the report and it said the 3rd is measuring 9.4mm... if it should be no more than 3.5mm (which is similar to what I found) than that is a huge measurement. The tech wouldn't tell me anything or give me a range of normal. He said he couldn't find any info about it! This is so frustrating, and I left a message with my doctor but haven't heard back yet.


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## Tulip

I can understand that is hugely scary :hugs: On the plus side, you are 31 weeks so not long to go til he can be treated. They may even get him out early if they're really concerned in order to put a shunt in. 

I hope you manage to see your doctor soon :hugs:


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## samjc1531c

steph32, how long have they said until a doctor gets back in touch with you to go through it all with you and discuss everything, i would tell them the stress is not good for you or baby having to wait for explanations, i was lucky the fetal specialist i was under spent half hr answering questions scanned me and then went through everything straight away with us (i have the fantastic consultants from one born every minute documentary )
Its such a worrying time and aswell as worrying about the obvious you have soooo many hormones whizzing about your body. 
I know this is sooo much easier than done but try to remain positive and focus on finding answers as soon as possible.xxxxx:hugs:


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## Steph32

Well, the tech faxed the report to my doctor because he couldn't tell me much, he just "flagged" it for the doctor to see and said that he'll do what he wants with that info. So I left a message yesterday with the doctor to see if they had gotten the fax because I hadn't heard from them yet. Left a message, and the assistant called me back this morning to say that the doctor will call me today. They are a busy office, but assuming they saw the report already and weren't so quick to call me back, maybe they thought it wasn't super urgent... which is a good sign... I hope.


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## phoebewyatt

Tuesday seems forever away, i just hope when i go to see the fetal specialist im told asap if there is anything to worry about and i hope they explain in the simplist way so i understand everything.


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## Tulip

Take as many notes as you can and if you don't understand, they MUST explain better. Sending strength xxx


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## janey1975

Tulip's right, it is their job to make sure you understand. Think about what exactly you want to know. The question that helped me when I had the initial scan result was asking 'how likely is it that this is nothing to worry about, is it above 90%' and the consultant replied 'yes, definitely above 90%, it's most likely to be a variant of normal'. So they were simply saying that although the measurement was a little high, it was normal for my baby. After all, we're all different.

So put things in the language you will understand and ask them that question. I think that's the best thing you can do. I will be thinking of you on Tuesday. Please do update and let us know what they say - thanks. Sending you positive vibes x


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## janey1975

Steph32 said:


> Well, the tech faxed the report to my doctor because he couldn't tell me much, he just "flagged" it for the doctor to see and said that he'll do what he wants with that info. So I left a message yesterday with the doctor to see if they had gotten the fax because I hadn't heard from them yet. Left a message, and the assistant called me back this morning to say that the doctor will call me today. They are a busy office, but assuming they saw the report already and weren't so quick to call me back, maybe they thought it wasn't super urgent... which is a good sign... I hope.

Have you heard anything Steph? Been thinking of you x


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## phoebewyatt

went for my scan today with the fetal specialist, not looking good, the fluid filled areas have increased from 11mm to 13mm and has gone from borderline to mild. i have to go to newcastle next tuesday and have another scan like today and maybe an MRI scan in the 'doughnut machine' so they can have a better look at the brain and check everything in the brain. there is no obvious signs of problems in babys face organs bones ect but the more the fluid areas increase the more likely there is to be a problem with my baby. trying to remember eveything they said to me, have to see the fetal specialist again at my normal hospital in 4 weeks so she can keep an eye on baby. i have been offered the down's syndrome test again which i refused the first time. i have refused again as it can cause miscarrage and my baby could be perfectly healthy and even if he wasnt i would still keep him. i am sooo worried now as i was hoping in would decrease not increase and im worried next week it could be even bigger. this is all i can remember at the minute my head is a mess with all the info going around :-(


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## Tulip

:hugs: I'm so sorry to hear that they've grown. Newcastle will be your tertiary referral centre, so they'll have the specialists to work out exactly what's going on and what's causing the ventriculomegaly. 

I'm hoping with all my heart that the vents stop growing. Come on, little man xxxxx


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## Steph32

janey1975 said:


> Steph32 said:
> 
> 
> Well, the tech faxed the report to my doctor because he couldn't tell me much, he just "flagged" it for the doctor to see and said that he'll do what he wants with that info. So I left a message yesterday with the doctor to see if they had gotten the fax because I hadn't heard from them yet. Left a message, and the assistant called me back this morning to say that the doctor will call me today. They are a busy office, but assuming they saw the report already and weren't so quick to call me back, maybe they thought it wasn't super urgent... which is a good sign... I hope.
> 
> Have you heard anything Steph? Been thinking of you xClick to expand...

Thanks for thinking of me! Well, I don't have all the information I want about this... no one seems to know much, which could be a good sign because how would they then know what's normal re: the 3rd ventricle, right? Although it looks "prominent," it is very likely that it is just a "variant of normal"... which is a term they use a lot it seems! So I'm going to try not to worry about it. The fact that the lateral vents are normal, they really don't know how to even handle the situation anyway. It's not causing any problem and the other brain structures aren't squished. So I am just going to trust that it is okay. I might go for another growth scan, just to check in with the head growth since it was measuring 4 weeks ahead before.


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## phoebewyatt

up to newcastle tomorrow hopefully i have a scan and MRI so idont have to tra


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## phoebewyatt

Up to Newcastle tomorrow hopefully i have the scan and MRI, so i dont have to travel up there again. Fingers crossed the fluid has not increased anymore :-/


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## janey1975

Steph32 said:


> janey1975 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Steph32 said:
> 
> 
> Well, the tech faxed the report to my doctor because he couldn't tell me much, he just "flagged" it for the doctor to see and said that he'll do what he wants with that info. So I left a message yesterday with the doctor to see if they had gotten the fax because I hadn't heard from them yet. Left a message, and the assistant called me back this morning to say that the doctor will call me today. They are a busy office, but assuming they saw the report already and weren't so quick to call me back, maybe they thought it wasn't super urgent... which is a good sign... I hope.
> 
> Have you heard anything Steph? Been thinking of you xClick to expand...
> 
> Thanks for thinking of me! Well, I don't have all the information I want about this... no one seems to know much, which could be a good sign because how would they then know what's normal re: the 3rd ventricle, right? Although it looks "prominent," it is very likely that it is just a "variant of normal"... which is a term they use a lot it seems! So I'm going to try not to worry about it. The fact that the lateral vents are normal, they really don't know how to even handle the situation anyway. It's not causing any problem and the other brain structures aren't squished. So I am just going to trust that it is okay. I might go for another growth scan, just to check in with the head growth since it was measuring 4 weeks ahead before.Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay in responding and thanks for the update.

I must admit Steph I had not heard anything about the 3rd ventricle even with all my googling last year about ventricles in the brain. The fact that they are not worried about it is a really good sign. Yes, we were told that our little boy's ventricles were a 'variant of normal'. The other excellent indication is that they have not found any other issues and I can honestly say that in my experience they look really hard for any other signs so you can rest assured your baby has had a full inspection! I would have another growth scan too just for reassurance as it won't do any harm. Sometimes the head grows quicker and then the body catches up! I think Tulip or someone mentioned that sometimes bigger vents can be caused by a temp enlargement whilst things are growing at different rates and then the fluid drains and they return to normal. 

Anyway, it all sounds like excellent news to me Steph. Do keep us updated x


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## janey1975

phoebewyatt said:


> Up to Newcastle tomorrow hopefully i have the scan and MRI, so i dont have to travel up there again. Fingers crossed the fluid has not increased anymore :-/

Best of luck Phoebe - I hope the vents don't show any increase. I will be thinking of you tomorrow. Deep breaths and positive thoughts when that probe thing hits your belly. I know how nerve-wracking it can be. Also, make sure you remember or write down what you want to ask even if it is good news because you want to come away properly reassured.

Best of luck and lots of love to you and bubba x


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## janey1975

How did it go Phoebe? I was thinking of you yesterday x


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## bekk63

Hi all! I came across this thread today while googling like crazy about my twin boys! YES twin boys. Had the morphology scan and one baby is amazingly fine :) The other 'twin A' the active non stop moving one was measured to have 10.1mm. im 22 weeks and found out today about the 10.1mm measurement. Ive always been concerned about twin b as he never moves, ever! Hubby coudlnt come to the appointment due to work comittments and i thought it was just another blood pressure heart beat appointment. I got told this and got told i should have an amnio and think about possibly terminating twin a. Never the less i was so distraught. I had blood taken and i have a scan tomorrow at the womens and childrens hospital special medical imagary place. Ive been crying for hours thinking about terminating one twin and having the other one living in there with his dead brother. But seeing this now makes me so furious that they said these things to me! I hope the measurement is better tomorrow!!! 
I hope you all still post and read this. Sorry its so long! x


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## Tulip

I simply CANNOT believe they are talking about termination with a 10.1 measurement. OMFG I am so angry for you right now!

FX FX FX the measurement is fine tomorrow, and if it's still 10.1 get scanned again in a week or two. Seriously, WOW :nope: xxx


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## bekk63

I know i couldnt believe it. Automatically im thinking the worse about if i continue the pregnancy with him, but now im alot more positive. Im only 21 and had the 12week downs u/s test and was something like 1:9999. Everything else on baby A was fine and normal. So im hoping its because he is in a horrible position, he is head down as well, his brother is head up feet down. Just praying its gone down or stayed the same. Anyone else from australia on here? 
Anyone had experience with the fetal MRI? Can you request one on your own or have to be reffered? Thanks for your support!


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## Sweetk1

Hi, I haven't been on here to update for a while!
My son was diagnosed with VM at 33 weeks. His right vent measured 11.5mm, he had a scan right after birth and it was 12.6mm. The in uteruo scans are not 100% accurate as you can imagine how small 1mm Is so the margin for error is massive which is why you get such varying numbers each time it's measured.
Cut a long story short, my son is almost 5 months old now and he's just amazing!
He smiles, laughs, rolls, he sits up with support, plays with toys (absolutely loves grabbing and holding toys) he eats solids already and is doing really really well. 
If you look back through the posts on this thread my story is amongst it. 
Please please do not stress over measurements of 10 and 11mm, the stats are that your baby has a 97% chance of being totally fine! And from 12-15mm it's 77%. 
Poster with the third ventricle enlarged, I don't have an answer for you but, you are one of quite a few people I've heard with the 3rd vent problem. If you go into the Hydrocephalus group on babycentre, the ladies there know lots about VM, hydro, and other brain anomalies. As I said please don't worry about 11 and 12,13 mm. I know ladies with babies who's vents were in the 20's at 20 weeks. And by birth were 70mm, YES 7cm and their babies are developing totally normal!


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## phoebewyatt

Hi all 
Went to Newcastle tuesday and they said the ventricles were now measuring at 11.5 and 12mm but they suggested i have the 'amnio' again (think thats what its called for the downs syndrom test and again i said NO! as there is too much risk of miscarriage and as i keep saying he could be a healthly normal baby). They said another option was to have the Fetal MRI as that can also give more information so i am booked in a week from today in Newcastle for the MRI and we'll have the results the following tuesday which means i have to travel to newcastle both times but hopefullly i can claim the costs back. Im feeling a bit more possitive ATM and hopefully my little man will be perfectly fine  he is very strong keeps kicking me soo hard little monkey  hehe


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## bekk63

So I went into the Womens and childrens hospital and had another full morphology scan. Nothing is wrong with baby b, baby a is absolutely fine except the right ventricle is dilated. It was measure there by 3 people and they came up with the same number of 9.54mm. So down from 10.1mm. 

I now have to have my care through there which is in the city and like a 45 minute drive away from me :( Oh well it must be donw. I have another U/s in a week as well as a MRI. They have ruled out downs and spinabifida as the spine is great and nasal bones etc in the right place. Also i have NO markers for downs.

They don't recommend an amnio for me as there is 2 babies and its not as accurate etc. But i can have it if i want, which i dont at all!

I was told if its isolated and the large ventricle is the only thing wrong with him, then he may be a little slower in learning etc, but he also may be normal. And we wont know until he is born and starting to meet milestones. 

Also had the torch test and waiting for results to come back, out of the infections they screen for how many are 'curable' for the baby and will the ventricle go down?? All so scary! My poor little twinnie!


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## Tulip

Bekk, if he's down to 9.54mm his ventricle is no longer large, it's normal size! So even though they're insisting on transferring your care, your boy is NORMAL and you should consider him so in order to enjoy your pregnancy :)
Phoebe, your outlook is an inspiration, I hope your little man's vents stabilise soon and the MRI can give you some answers xx


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## janey1975

phoebewyatt said:


> Hi all
> Went to Newcastle tuesday and they said the ventricles were now measuring at 11.5 and 12mm but they suggested i have the 'amnio' again (think thats what its called for the downs syndrom test and again i said NO! as there is too much risk of miscarriage and as i keep saying he could be a healthly normal baby). They said another option was to have the Fetal MRI as that can also give more information so i am booked in a week from today in Newcastle for the MRI and we'll have the results the following tuesday which means i have to travel to newcastle both times but hopefullly i can claim the costs back. Im feeling a bit more possitive ATM and hopefully my little man will be perfectly fine  he is very strong keeps kicking me soo hard little monkey  hehe

Thanks so much for the update Phoebe. I am sure all will be fine. If you read Sweetk1's post it really does put things in perspective and is so reassuring. Do let us know the outcome of the MRI x


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## Tulip

Oh yes sweetk that was such a lovely update :cloud9:


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## janey1975

Bekk, I totally agree with Tulip 9.54mm is normal so I don't think you should think about him being delayed or with problems at all. Put it another way, if they had got that measurement first time around you would not have been put through all of this and instead been told all was fine. It's weird that once they get to 10mm once they seem so fixated by it even though the cut-off is, to some extent, arbitrary!

Sweetk1 - I am so very pleased all is well with your LO. He sounds absolutely adorable. I am really relieved for you and pleased that your story will be a great comfort to others.


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## phoebewyatt

Hi all, 
Had my MRI on Friday and have to go back to Newcastle tomorrow for the results


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## Tulip

Good luck Phoebe, will be thinking of you x


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## janey1975

Thinking of you Phoebe. Please update us when you can. Sending you positive vibes x


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## phoebewyatt

MRI shows nothing to be concerned about and fluid on the brain is still the same around 13mm but if it stays the same or decreases its more likely baby will be fine, but the consultant seems happy that all should be ok, I need to come back in 8 weeks and they will have a look again and that far into pregnancy they should know what way the fluid will be going and be able to know more. But it looks positive I think so that's good xx


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## Tulip

Oh that's good, they sound very calm and positive! I'm sure your outlook has helped :thumbup:


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## janey1975

Phoebe, that is great news. The fact that the consultant was so positive and they don't want to see you for another 8 weeks is really good news. You have been so strong to have the MRI and to be so positive; I am sure things will work out great for you. Make sure you enjoy the next 8 weeks and keep us updated. Love to you and bump x


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## blkdiamond

Hello all. 
Some of you might remember me but I posted a few pages back i thought I would update with how things are going. My baby girl is 5 weeks now. Her left ventricle measured 12mm at the last ultrasound. She seems okay but I find it hard to enjoy this special time because I feel I am always looking to see if she is developing normally. The hospital did not arrange any follow up after the birth as they do not feel concerned, but I am wondering if I should insist on further checks. Part of me wishes I never knew about the enlarged ventricle especially as things mainly turn out okay. Big hugs and good luck to all those undergoing investigations still.


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## janey1975

blkdiamond said:


> Hello all.
> Some of you might remember me but I posted a few pages back i thought I would update with how things are going. My baby girl is 5 weeks now. Her left ventricle measured 12mm at the last ultrasound. She seems okay but I find it hard to enjoy this special time because I feel I am always looking to see if she is developing normally. The hospital did not arrange any follow up after the birth as they do not feel concerned, but I am wondering if I should insist on further checks. Part of me wishes I never knew about the enlarged ventricle especially as things mainly turn out okay. Big hugs and good luck to all those undergoing investigations still.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! I was thinking about you the other day and wondered how you were getting on. 

I do totally understand why you are worried. My LO is 9 months old and I am always checking to see if he is developing 'normally'. I jump on everything. It didn't help that at his 6 week check the doctor measured his head and it was on the 98th percentile and asked me to get the HV to monitor it! I flipped out and connected it to the ventricles but when the HV came round she discovered that he was around the 90th percentile for weight and length too, so all in proportion. She monitored it for a while and then stopped as there was no sign of an issue. Also, he was late to sit unaided (still throws himself back) and is not fast with his physical development so I have been worried there too. However, he is very quick to work things out, is very inquisitive and aware, so if I am thinking logically I know he is 'normal'. Babies all develop differently and they are quicker with some things than others. You will find this with your little girl when you inevitably compare her with others. Please do not panic because she won't be the first to do everything and that does not mean there is an issue. I know it is hard not to worry because it's like the issue during pregnancy has planted a seed and your mind and worrying makes it grow.

But if you think of it logically, you had both an MRI scan and an amnio and all were clear. The ventricle never got past 12mm. And you also had very detailed scans at Kings who are the best in the country. So, you have to believe she is okay; you have more reason to think this than most mums as she has had more checks. I know truly how hard this can be and I still struggle but keep telling yourself the facts. Also, if Kings were worried they would not have hesitated to recommend a scan as they are very very very thorough (that was my experience).

No go off and enjoy your lovely little girl:happydance:


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## phoebewyatt

went to see the midwife today and she wouldnt let us listen to the heartbeat :-( thought they would do it by now, was gutted. i know he is ok because he is forever kicking me and moving around but would have been nice. when did everyone else first listen to babys heartbeat? x


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## janey1975

The midwife first listened to baby's heartbeat at 16 weeks and every visit I think after that. We also bought a doppler (Angelsounds, quite cheap available from Amazon) to listen to baby's heartbeat ourselves. I know that some midwifes refuse to listen because of the issues and concerns it can raise if they can't find it. In fact, I think I remember my midwife (who was really lovely) saying that she had been told not to listen for the baby's heartbeat but she was ignoring this advice as thought it was unfair on mums-to-be.

I hope you are feeling well and positive Phoebe x


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## mare

Just having a little read of your stories:hugs: its all so worrying,Tulip you are amazing support! You supported me on this thread when I had my 20 week scan and was told my baby had an enlarged ventricle. After 2 more scans it was measuring fine so everything turned out great.

I had my baby boy 11 days ago and he's perfect.
This really does seem more common in boys.

phoebewyatt, I hope everything turns out just fine, its sounds very positive for your lo:thumbup:

sweetk1 - glad your lo is doing well! 
Bekk63 - Cant believe what you have been through hun :( thins seem very positive now though :flower:

Best wishes to you all :flower:


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## Tulip

Congratulations Mare! Do we get a little piccie? Pleeeeease? :flower: So glad to hear he's fine!


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## mare

Thanks tulip. 

As soon as a figure out how to do it I will put one on. (I use my phone not pc) :thumbup:


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## mare

[IMG]https://i1158.photobucket.com/albums/p617/sairmare1/photo.jpg[/IMG]

Heres my boy, sorry so big :cloud9:


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## Tulip

Oh my, he is handsome :cloud9: Thanks so much for sharing! 

Phoebe I hope you are doing well :hugs:


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## scottishgal4

This thread has been a great find.. lots of positive stories to give me comfort. I currently live in dubai so its a little different having my baby over here. I have a great DR from london however the big scans are done at the fetal medicine centre and my Dr there is french and sometimes a little difficult to understand. I had my 20week scan a few days ago, its a BOY! We were told we have borderline bilateral ventriculomegaly with right choird plexus cyst. right side of brain 11.5mm and left 10mm.. was a huge shock and immediately went into complete panic mode. She requested a TORCH test straight away and that came back today normal. we have another scan scheduled for wednesday.. i have really got myself in a right twist over this as the dr didn't explain anything.. this thread has really eased my mind.. i just hope we have a positive outcome.


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## Tulip

SG welcome to the group :hugs: Here's hoping that you have another of these boys who have larger vents as their version of normal. Did you post on the expat women forum? Your appearance here saves me signing up just to get in touch :) (I have google alerts set up to look for new posts about VM). Of course VM can be life-threatening, and I hope the high rate of happy stories doesn't belittle that - but it does show that borderline cases at 20w very often resolve themselves - or at least do not progress significantly. 

Good luck for your scan on Weds - please let us know how it goes!

Nic xx


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## mare

Best of luck scottishgal :hugs:


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## gemm002

Hi SG, I too live in Dubai. At the 20 week u/s scan. Baby was diagonised with enlarged vents measuring around 10mm. Went for another scan yesterday at 25 weeks. The radiographer said that the reading has gone to 11mm. Can u give me the name of your fetal medical centre and gynec, if I want to go for a second opinion. My email id is the same with only gmail being added to it. Cannot type out the address as am new member Praying for u n your little bubba.


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## phoebewyatt

hi all
had another scan yesterday, seems the vm is now measuring at 10mm but i wasnt seen by fatal med like i should of been(they messed up my appointment so was seen by a regular scan lady) so they want me to come back again in 4 weeks to be seen by fetal med and make sure the measurements are correct. if the vm is measuring at 10mm then thats really good because it seems to have sorted itself out fingers crossed, its looking good and im feeling very positive  thank you all on here for all your support and all your comments its nice to know people like us have somewhere to speak to people going thru the same things and most people having a positive outcome


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## Tulip

Oh Phoebe tjats fantastic news! :happydance: I'm really pleased for you!


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## Tulip

Gemm, welcome, i hope your LO also manages to halt the growth of the vents. please stay in touch x


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## gemm002

Thanks Tulip, After reading all the positive stories, has given me a lot of hope. HAve done the TORCH, Triple everything is normal. HAve been diagonized low risk for TT. Decided not to do any further u/s till the 32nd week. As everytime I go for the u/s the pressure goes up....


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## Tulip

I think that's a good plan. By that stage the chances are they'll have resolved themselves, and if not the docs will be able to formulate a plan :hugs:


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## ShanR

Hi everyone, it seems I'm in a situation that most of you have all been in, when I went to my 20 week scan I was told they thought my baby had Hydrocephulas. A week later I was in fetal medicine clinic in Auckland Hospital, they ruled out Hydrocephulas and told me that both Ventricals are swollen, the measurements they got were 14mm, the doctors told me that over 15mm is considered severe, I have been told that there is 30 - 50% chance of there being problems with this baby and they don't know to what degree. From reading this thread on here it has been really good to see that measurements have gone down, I have my follow up appointment next week so I am hoping like crazy things are looking better by then, it should have been 3 weeks since my last visit to them.


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## Tulip

Welcome Shan. I hope that you find the vents have reduced :hugs: please do keep in touch xx


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## ShanR

Thanks Tulip, I'm hoping Tuesday is a good day. Can anyone tell me what can you expect if you have the baby and there is some problems? Is it just that they maybe a little slower to hit the milestones? Whatelse can it affect?


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## Tulip

It really depends on whether the swelling progresses and what's causing it. The spectrum varies from no effect to hydrocephalus and severe mental and physical disability due to development of the brain being impaired. We're quite a new group and most of us have had vents resolve spontaneously, but I know there's a postnatal thread recently started on Babycentre x


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## ShanR

Awesome thanks, thats good to know. they have ruled out hydrocephalus, they said there is no blockage, they said it is due to the brain not developing, mind you I could be a little wrong as went you are getting told this information you kinda shut down a little. I'm hoping Tuesday it better.


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## phoebewyatt

hi just thought id give you's and update, had another scan yesterday and baba's head is to far down to have a good look but from what they could see the vents were measuring at 11mm could even be smaller than that so thats great!! have one final scan on tuesday in newcastle but im not sure they will see must more as babys head too far down already. only 4 weeks to go till my little boy due and im sure everything is going to be fine regarding his vents  thank god


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## Tulip

That's fantastic news Phoebe! Whoop! Best of luck and sending easy labour vibes for his birthday :hugs:


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## phoebewyatt

had my scan in newcastle and vents now measuring at 7mm!!! so have sorted themselves out just have to wait till he's born and they will do a scan thru babys softspot so check vents are still ok  very happy


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## Tulip

:happydance: Clever baby!


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## nickibrum

phoebewyatt said:


> had my scan in newcastle and vents now measuring at 7mm!!! so have sorted themselves out just have to wait till he's born and they will do a scan thru babys softspot so check vents are still ok  very happy

Hi Phoebe

My baby has a mild case at the moment with 13mm. Have you done anything yourself that could be accounted for the decrease? Or is it literally just something that could decrease as time goes on? Im 21 weeks and found out for sure yesterday. 

Happy for you aswell hun that its going down- I can only imagine the relief you must be feeling :)


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## phoebewyatt

nickibrum said:


> phoebewyatt said:
> 
> 
> had my scan in newcastle and vents now measuring at 7mm!!! so have sorted themselves out just have to wait till he's born and they will do a scan thru babys softspot so check vents are still ok  very happy
> 
> Hi Phoebe
> 
> My baby has a mild case at the moment with 13mm. Have you done anything yourself that could be accounted for the decrease? Or is it literally just something that could decrease as time goes on? Im 21 weeks and found out for sure yesterday.
> 
> Happy for you aswell hun that its going down- I can only imagine the relief you must be feeling :)Click to expand...

i didnt do anything just kept going to have scan's to check on the progress


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## Sweetk1

Hi I just wanted to update as I haven't been on in a couple of months:
My son was diagnosed with Unilateral Ventriculomegaly at 33 weeks. His right ventricle measured 12.6mm at birth. 
My son is now 7 months old and is just fantastic. He's just starting to sit up on his own now.

A few things about VM for those new to it:
Unilateral ventricles are common in the general population.
Mild VM is up to 15mm
Vents upto 12mm have a 97% chance of normal development.
Vents 12-15mm have a 77% chance of normal development.
Something like 60% of VM resolves in uteruo. 
30% of VM remains stable.
10% increases and turns into Hydrocephalus.

Since our diagnosis I have become friends with many many ladies in the same situation and I know children in the 97% bracket doing great and kids in the 3% bracket sergeant disabled.
This is a great site but I would highly recommend having a read of the I-am-pregnant Ventriculomegaly board. There are literally thousands of posts and I have to say that site and the ladies on it kept me sane. 

Best of luck to all you ladies. The statistics are in your favour.


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## phoebewyatt

i have 9 days to go and im getting very impatient anyone got any tips for bringing on labour?


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## janey1975

I walked a fair distance and had sex which I think helped to bring on labour but it may have been a coincidence! Still, my husband enjoyed it! (the sex not the walk so much - he he!) Best of luck Phoebe and do let us know - how exciting! 

My baby is a year old today and I will warn you that the first year absolutely flies by so try to enjoy it, even when the sleepless nights make you feel like you are going insane!

Love to you x


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## Tulip

I tried everything and still went 6 days over Phoebe! X


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## phoebewyatt

i went 12 days over with my first and have 4 days left before im due with this one hope i dont go over this time fingers crossed, ive tried lots of stuff already like curry, sex, pineapple, walking but he doesnt seem to want to make an appearance just yet. so i think its just a case of waiting until he is ready but im very impatient !! lol


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## Angie2185

Hi Ladies, Im new to all this and stumbled across this group googling!!! We have 2 healthy daughters who are 7 and 3. We had our 20 week scan on Wednesday. The hospital have a brand new scanner in so i was being scanned on that. Our lil baby BOY  is perfect and everything looks fine and normal apart from his Right ventricle is a little more prominemt than his left side. The lady measured his right side to be 10.3. She asked us to come back in 2 hours to see the consultant. We went back, turns out he was the hospitals top man  He had a look at our boy again and said he looks perfect and when looking at his right ventricle he was getting 9.8. He said he is happy with it and to not go away worrying (but i do lol) and he will see me in 3 weeks to be reassured. My notes say......The brain structure, ventricles and cerebellum all appear normal. Right side is a little more prominent than the left, but the internal brain structures appear normal. Diagnosis.....The scan is reassuring today with no problems identified. The limitations of ultrasound disgnosis have been explained. Sorry for the long post but wanted to give you ladies as much info as poss as you prob have more experience than me. xx


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## Tulip

Hi Angie and welcome!

Id say that sounds really positive and sounds very much like my experience (except my scans were a week apart). Sounds to me like your original sonographer wasn't measuring at quite the right angle.

Hope your appt in three weeks can away your fears - enjoy your little man in the meantime :) xx


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## chigirl22

At 20 weeks all measurements were normal. Then at 28 weeks on of the lateral ventricles was measuring at 1.2 cm.. The tech had the doctor come in to measure it and she got it at 1.1cm. She said it's enlarged but with in normal range. I'm getting it checked again at 32 wks which is in three days. After doing research i feel light headed now. I've had a tooth infection, took antibiotics. Taking meds for crohns. I have too much going on and now i'm blaming myself. I hope it resolves by then.


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## chigirl22

wow thanks for the information... I'm stressing over 12mm... max... and when the doc scanned it was 11mm


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## Tulip

Hi Chigirl and welcome. It's always so easy when something like this happens to pick over everything we have ever done/eaten/thought and blame ourselves. Chances are this is just a 'normal' measurement for your LO :) I hope Tuesday brings great news for you :hugs:


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## Agiboma

I dont mean to hijack this thread but tulip how are you doing, i dint even know you went through this expereince with Dilan, just thought i would pop in and say hello. Micah is great, doing everything he should and a whole lot more.


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## Tulip

Agiboma said:


> I dont mean to hijack this thread but tulip how are you doing, i dint even know you went through this expereince with Dilan, just thought i would pop in and say hello. Micah is great, doing everything he should and a whole lot more.

Hi Mandi I saw your post about Micah's birthday, he is awe-inspiring! Can't believe how quickly our boys are growing up. Dillon is just great - he is so funny, has almost 50 words now I think, physically very confident - nursery say he's very advanced with his gross motor skills, loves to push his teddies around in his cleaning trolley and his favourite things are slides and cake :cloud9: I'm so lucky that he's mine!

Congratulations on your new pregnancy! Please tell me you have time for a parenting and pregnancy journal?? xx


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## phoebewyatt

hi just thought id give you an update im 5 days overdue now and very fed up have tried all i can to try and start labour off but no luck, if he doesnt come before 31st august i will be induced but until then i just have to wait :-(


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## Tulip

I bet he'll leave it to the last minute hon :hugs:


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## nickibrum

Thought Id update since my last scan; the consultant measured and it seems the ventricles are slightly reduced. In the Borderline stage now but to be honest baby was moving quite a bit so as long as they couldnt tell it was increased im happy. 

Go back in 2.5 weeks. 

I am now consultant led for my delivery- does anyone know what options will be closed to me now; eg can you still use the water birthing pool? tens machine? etc.


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## Tulip

That's good news Nicki :) I think it just depends what facilities are available on the unit, what are the reasons for you being consultamt-led? I think unless they want constant monitoring of baby (in which case you'll be stuck on or beside the bed) on a trace then you should be able to do what you like, be delivered by MWs but docs are only down the corridor if need be. If its just because of the VM I doubt very much they'll have you on a trace - if they do, id be resistant to that as its important to keep moving and not be flat on your back in order.to progress labour.

My CLU has a birth pool but I couldn't get in it as I was so excited my pulse was too fast :D I had a TENS clipped to my bra at all times and laboured standing up holding on to the end of the bed. was a right state ;)


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## DarKev

First off, thanks to everyone for this thread. My wife and I are 21 weeks into the pregnancy of our first child. 

Last week we went into our 20th week office visit which we thought was simply for checking the heartbeat and finding out the gender of our baby. We had no idea that the purpose of the visit was actually to have an ultrasound and 60 pictures to check the development of the baby. Everything checked out fine - it's a boy - until the doctor met with us afterwards and near the end of the visit mentioned that there was one area of "concern". It turned out that the right lateral ventricle of our baby was borderline mild ventriculomegoly at 10mm. We were in shock and asked what this meant. The doctor simply said that this was rare and in one case in two years, it led to "hydrocephalus". That latter word was what stuck in our memory as we were sent home with a promise of a referral to a "high-risk" specialist. Don't these doctors think about the terms they use?

Naturally as soon as we got home, we Googled hydrocephalus and read devastating stories, not knowing that these were the very worst outcomes of ventriculomegaly and very rare. Backtracking for a while we found out what was really affecting our baby.

Three days later after the weekend, we didn't wait for the specialist to contact us, we contacted her office and although they were booked for the whole week, once she heard about our case, a unilateral borderline MVM, she told us to come in same day. They proceeded to use a level II ultrasound to take new scans and measured the left lateral ventricle at 4mm and the right lateral ventricle at 11mm. All soft markers came back normal/negative. No signs of blood (infection) or calcium build up. He weighed 1 lb 1 oz, or about 2.5 weeks ahead of average development.

Our maternal fetal medicine specialist happens to be the top practitioner in her field in our region of Florida for one of the largest health systems. She told us that she wasn't overly concerned at this point because this is more prevalent in boys and everything else about the baby is perfect. There are no other indicators that anything is wrong. She said there is a strong chance things would turn out fine. She said an amniocentesis would provide little of value in this case and that she wants to see us in 4 weeks to check the ventricles' status and assess where we go from there.

I work with a psychiatrist who is married to a neonatologist and he told us that we don't have much to worry about because everything else looks good and its so rare that cases like ours turn out to be chromosomal or other developmental problems later. His job is working with premies and babies born with various complexities.

Reading other accounts from people who have gone through this, I find it interesting that beyond mostly impacting boys, there is also a tendency that our babies are larger and developed further along ahead of schedule. Also it's comforting to see that most cases tend to resolve themselves either by ventricles staying the same, shrinking, or returning to normal between 24-28 weeks. I'm curious whether these particular babies who are growing quickly are simply entering a growth phase during the 20th week timeframe when measurements are first taken, perhaps when the brain is developing, and maybe this explains some of the larger ventricles? There doesn't seem to be much understanding or studies out there that explore what exact role the spinal fluid plays in the baby's brain development. Maybe wishful thinking on our part.

We did read on Kaiser Foundation's literature that of the 4 million babies born every year in the United States, 0.001% or 4,000 babies have mild ventriculomegaly in one or both lateral ventricules. 90% or 3600 babies are born normal and the ventricules stay the same size or return to normal. 400 babies have ventricules that get larger. 4% or 160 babies have chromosomal abnormalities.

Take away fact: *In MOST babies with MVM the ventricules stay the same, reduce in size, or even return to normal. MOST babies with MVM and normal test results are born healthy.*

We'll report back the outcome of our next visit on 9/24 and how the ventricules are measuring. Obviously we're hoping for the best for our little man. 

Best of luck to all of you and thanks for all the information on this thread.

Kevin and Darlene


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## Tulip

Congratulations on your little boy Kevin and Darlene, and thanks for those very helpful stats :) I absolutely agree with your theory that borderline or mild enlargement are in the middle of a growth spurt.

Wishing you the very best of luck for your follow-up.


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## gemm002

Our baby girl was born a week back. the 34th week ultrsound scan showed no dilation of the brain. Her APGAR score at birth showed 10/10. She is perfectly normal, started feeding on her own. My elder one needed a lot of prodding n teaching before she took to feeding. If you can recall, I had posted a thread in the month of May. 

Thanks for your support


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## Tulip

Congratulations Gemm! I bet she's a wee stunner :cloud9:


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## nickibrum

Just a quick update. We had our scan 2 weeks ago at 28 weeks and he has definitely reduced from 13mm to 10mm. We have another scan on the 10th October and then another 4 weeks after that. The doctors arent too worried. 

Like DarKev our little boys head was measuring at 30 weeks and the rest of his body was measuring at 28 weeks but the doctors didnt seem concerned about it; i assume it all evens out by the time due date arrives. 

Only 2 weeks to wait til the next update. Looks promising though :) 

I have been told though that water birth is probably not an option as i will need to constantly be monitored which isnt ideal when im in water. booooo :( but TENS machines are ok to use. So thats the plan.


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## janey1975

Hi Nicki - hope today's scan went well. Do update us when you can x


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## doushy

Hi everyone

I wanted to thank you all for your informative thread. I had my 20 week scan today (i am 21+1) and they reported that the posterior ventricle was dilated measuring 12.9mm. I came home from my scan heartbroken and thinking the worse! Couldnt focus on seeing my lovely baby boy. I was on the scanning table for 50mins whilst the sonographer poked my stomach to get the baby moving, as he was not in the best position.

We were also told that she couldnt see the full 4 heart chambers, but used something else to see the outside of the heart. She said that was due to the baby's position and that spine, organs, hands and feet looked fine. My quad blood test at 15 weeks was all fine and classed as low risk!

I am seeing a specialist for another scan on thursday, and im praying that my local hospital has measured wrong. I am a bigger lady so that has impacted this scan as i carry weight on my stomach. 

Ill will post how i get on to keep this thread running! xx


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## Tulip

Welcome to the team Doushy! Hoping that your next scan can reassure you :hugs:

Nicki, how are you doing hon? x


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## nickibrum

Hey Tulip,

The measurements have stayed the same, around the 11cm mark. So better than when we had the 20 week scan but I think they are going to stay around the borderline mark now. 

In the scan they checked the rest of his body and now they are slightly worried about his bowels as he has a prominent loop of poo. So back next week rather than in 3 to have that checked up on..... sooooo many scans. I swear im funding the car park just by myself. £4.50 every time I go..... I didnt budget for this lol. Thats about £70 just gone in car park fees. lol


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## Tulip

These babies they are sent ti try us xxx


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## doushy

Hi everyone

I thought i would update you on my scan today. They done the scan and it turns out i have choroid plexus cysts in the ventricles, which alone they felt wasnt a problem. The initial scan had shown an echogenic spot on the cord insertion. When they looked at that closer it turned out to be a exomphalos, which is basically a tiny bit of the baby's bowel were the cord enters. 

Unfortunately that combined with the cysts means a possible abnormality. They recommended the amnio, which i have had today. If the results come back with no abnormality, both conditions should fix themselves and will be fine, but there is a risk of edwards syndrome, as well as downs, and patau.

Not the best news but i feel a lot calmer today, now i know ill get a definite answer. They classed it as 1 in 3 chance of abnormality of one of the above conditions. The amnio wasnt pleasant and im resting up now, and should know by next wed the result. Im hoping my quad test being low risk is a positive sign. Just a pain that they only process the results on working days, and the weekend is in the middle!

So a different diagnosis and not the news i wanted - in a way its the worst outcome in the world or the best (fixable issue). No middle ground! xx


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## Tulip

Hoping for a good result for you mama, what a stressful day you've had. I don't suppose you got to look at babys hands today? Out sonographer ruled out Edwards straight away because Edwards babies have clenched fists (DS was waving his open hands around at the time) x


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## doushy

I did actually! As this was a different hospital they had a screen for me to see, so i could see everything they were doing, my hubby usually gets to see all of baby via the main sonographer screen, but this time i saw and can clearly remember thinking wow look at his little finger bones, his hands were not clenched at that point as i could see all fingers straight. My hubby says he has seen this on other scans. Do you think that could be a positive in all of this? Thanks so much for replying and your support i really appreciate it xx:flower:


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## stargirl77

Hello 
I am new here after my 28 week scan yesterday. They identified that one of my babys vents were measuring large, but did not give a figure. They have set me up with an appointment with the consultant on Monday. We are very very frightened. On the scanner the vent looked massive and the midwife noticed it straightaway. Any advice on questions to ask the consultant would be good. The vents seemed fine at 21 week scan, is it a greater cause for concern when they are dilated later in pregnancy? Thanks for your stories - they have provided much comfort. I had never heard of this condition until yesterday.


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## Tulip

doushy said:


> I did actually! As this was a different hospital they had a screen for me to see, so i could see everything they were doing, my hubby usually gets to see all of baby via the main sonographer screen, but this time i saw and can clearly remember thinking wow look at his little finger bones, his hands were not clenched at that point as i could see all fingers straight. My hubby says he has seen this on other scans. Do you think that could be a positive in all of this? Thanks so much for replying and your support i really appreciate it xx:flower:

Ok I've done some digging around and while nowhere says hands are ALWAYS clenched in T18, the consensus is that they are 'typically' clenched, and with the index and baby finger each overlapping the finger beside them. I would hope it's unlikely to be Edwards on this basis (though of course I am no professional). BUT most places don't mention cord insertion problems as a marker, but Wiki does. It also says the CP cysts aren't necessarily a problem themselves but could point to an underlying syndrome. Other T18 symptoms are a small head but prominent back of skull, small mouth and big toes that stick upwards xx


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## Tulip

Welcome over Stargirl. Of course you're afraid, what a shock :hugs: 

its entirely possible that baby is in the middle of a growth spurt and the vents/brain are slightly ahead of the body. It might be that you've had an infection and its had a temporary effect on baby's fluid; it may be that baby has a blockage causing fluid to build up. It's HELL waiting to see the consultant when you have a whole weekend to Google potential outcomes :( Please be assured that chances are it isn't as huge as you fear (though I know it just looks like a gaping hole in LO's brain when you first it), that it will likely remain in stable or correct itself, and that if it DOES progress, the range of potential outcomes varies hugely. It's generally not a death sentence for your precious baby. 

Best of luck with the doctor, and please let us know how it goes xx


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## stargirl77

Thanks so much Tulip for your kind words and advice. This is going to be a long weekend. I just cant wait until Monday to find out more. Yes, a gaping hole is exactly what it looked like on the scanner. I don't know how many mms it was though. I am also worrying the midwives knew more than they were letting on and torturing myself trying to remember bits of the conversation. I will post back on Monday.It has been lovely reading these stories and i am so glad to have found this site.


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## doushy

The best of luck stargirl hope your getting through this weekend, as quick as possible xx :hugs:

Thanks for looking about for me Tulip. I have looked around various websites and forums, some have been helpful, some not (as you can imagine). Thankfully the only markers on my scan were the cpc and the exomphalos (which are markers for edwards). Everything else showed as normal.

All i can do is keep everything crossed. Thank you xx :flower:


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## Tulip

Keeping it all crossed here for you too :hugs:


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## stargirl77

Hello I had my appointment today and the vent is measuring normal. Such a relief.many thanks for all your reassurance, accounts and kind words.XX


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## Tulip

stargirl77 said:


> Hello I had my appointment today and the vent is measuring normal. Such a relief.many thanks for all your reassurance, accounts and kind words.XX

Fantastic news! :yipee: Congratulations, enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and motherhood :cloud9:


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## doushy

Hi

I thought id best update. Unfortunately it was confirmed yesterday that my baby boy had edwards syndrome. Although the odds were bleak i held on to some of the statistics (mainly affecting girls, hands being clenched when our baby had open hands a lot).

I have decided to TfMR and i had a tablet and injection yesterday and will deliver tomorrow. Hopefully one day i will get my rainbow baby!

Thanks for your support girls xx :cry:


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## Tulip

I'm so sorry darling, the soft markers weren't promising but like you say there was still hope. Am heartbroken for you. :hugs: Will light a candle for your little boy and think of you tomorrow xxx


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## nickibrum

Oh so sorry to hear that Doushy. Ill say a prayer for you. 

I had our scan today and for once has some good news; the bowel isnt concerning the consultants anymore, and the ventriculomegaly is still borderline. Its stayed consistent so no more scans needed for us.


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## Tulip

Good news nicki, FXd it remains stable now xx

thinking of you doushy xx


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## Physiomom

I'm so sorry to hear that. Take care.


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## ilovemyharry

hi ladies,
just wondered if i could join this thread!
i have recently (tues) lost my lil boy to severe ventriculamelogy at 21 weeks! :(
was absolutley horrible!
basically i just want to chat to u ladies really!
i think my lil boys condition was abit different as they still cant detect exactly what has caused it yet but his brain wasnt developing so they told us there was no hope for him, hence the reason we delivered him on tues!

i just want to know if anyone has gone on to have a healthy lil one after loosing one too this condition?

thanks xxx


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## Tulip

ilovemyharry said:


> hi ladies,
> just wondered if i could join this thread!
> i have recently (tues) lost my lil boy to severe ventriculamelogy at 21 weeks! :(
> was absolutley horrible!
> basically i just want to chat to u ladies really!
> i think my lil boys condition was abit different as they still cant detect exactly what has caused it yet but his brain wasnt developing so they told us there was no hope for him, hence the reason we delivered him on tues!
> 
> i just want to know if anyone has gone on to have a healthy lil one after loosing one too this condition?
> 
> thanks xxx

Oh my goodness I'm so sorry for the loss of your little boy :hugs: 

Kaden's mummy has a rainbow baby I think, lemme check xx


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## Tulip

Yes, mommy2kian lost Kaden's to vm which just kept getting bigger and prevented his brain from developing. She now has a healthy wee girl xx


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## ilovemyharry

oh thats good news! :)
i mean we allready have a healthy 3 year old just really worried it will happen again!

is everyone on here going threw vm or gone threw it?

xxxx


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## Tulip

We've all had an intial diagnosis of VM - some have been measuring errors, some have resolved spontaneously, some have progressed xx


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## ilovemyharry

thankyou...its so nice to find people going or gone threw the same thing finally!


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## sailorwife

Can I join this thread too? My daughter is 11 weeks with ventriculomegaly. Diagnosed at 20 weeks pregnant. Last measurements were 14 each and an absent septum pellucidum


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## Angelinheaven

hello ladies i am new to this thread. i really need your help.

at 26 weeks, i was diagnosed with ventriculomegaly. my doctor saw some little fluid at 24 weeks but then it gone up to more than 15 mm in two weeks and a half. 

can someone please tell me what i should be prepared for? what should i expect? can my baby live a normal life? any one experienced this?


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## Tulip

Welcome to our two latest arrivals :hugs: AIH I think the only person currently on the thread with a baby who has ventricles of that magnitude is sailorwife. From what I've read its very difficult to predict the outcome for a particular child - it depends whether the vents continue to enlarge (and indeed the cause of the vm) or reduce and how much this hinders the growth of the brain. The scale of disability can go from no obvious mental or physical deficit, through mild and moderate learning difficulties to severe brain damage. 

Has your doctor conducted TORCH screening and a foetal mri to try and establish the cause of the vm? It may be possible to deliver early and perform a shunt to drain the excess cerebrospinal fluid. 

Sailorwife, can you tell us more about your little girl's story? I bet she's a wee cutie :) 

xx


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## Angelinheaven

yes i just did an MRI and amnio test but still waiting for results. doctors think that the vents will continue to enlarge and there's part of the brain that is not well developed. i feel so devestated. i really dont know what to say. i was also told to have early delivery through a c section. 
please pray that my little girl will live a normal life. i love her so much


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## Angelinheaven

sailorwife said:


> Can I join this thread too? My daughter is 11 weeks with ventriculomegaly. Diagnosed at 20 weeks pregnant. Last measurements were 14 each and an absent septum pellucidum

can you please share your story with us? i feel very upset. my daughter is diagnosed with severe VM at 26 weeks. i really dont know what to say


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## Tulip

Yes sometimes with bm certain parts of the brain such as the septum pellucidem and the corpus callosum don't develop, but I couldn't really get any answers as to what part they play in the brain and what their absence means in the real world. 

An early delivery will mean they are able to treat the excess fluid, and a c/s will be much less stressful for her little head. You must be so scared, and after such a rough ttc journey too :( I will hold you and your little girl in my heart while you await the results and her safe arrival xz


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## Angelinheaven

Can someone please help me understand this report? I am so anxious and feel nervous. I need someone to talk to me. Please help me. I know that some ladies have been through this and can give me some support.


MRI Foetus

The patient is 29 weeks gestation at the time of scanning. The foetus was very active and we did not obtain ideal sequences however there is evidence of significant hydrocephalous with marked dilatation of both lateral ventricles.
The third ventricle is not prominent. The fourth ventricle and posterior fossa and cranio-cervical junction all appear normal. Atrial diameter was 23.8mms Although I cannot definitively identify the corpus callosum the morphology of the ventricles is not suggestive of callosal agenesis. There does seem to be a septum pellucidum visible anteriorly but I cannot definitively identify it more dorsally. No evidence of any mass lesion. 
The brain appears immature for 29 weeks with a sulcation pattern more compatible with approximately 26-27 weeks gestation. No definite cortical abnormality although assessment was limited by the degree of foetal movement. Overall there is evidence of significant lateral ventricular dilatation. Although the third ventricle is not obviously dilated an aqueduct stenosis remains a possibility. There sulcation pattern appears immature.


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## Angelinheaven

please help - which is the best hospital in London for foetuses diagnosed with ventriculomegaly or hydrocephalus please? i am realllly lost!!!


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## Tulip

We would have been referred to Prof Kypros Nikolaides at King's - he's really famous and seems to be the expert in foetal care xx


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## Angelinheaven

Thanks Tulip. i have heard about him. I wish i could make an appointment with him very soon. Right now i am blind. MRI didnt give much info more than we knew. i'd have to wait another month to see if the fluid increases or not and if so, if it affects the brain. i have been reading through internet that children with hydrocephalus or ventriculomegaly can suffer a lot and cannot live a normal life. does this mean that i have to stop working ? one of the things that is worrying me is that i would not have enough money to help this child live a normal life. its so frustrating and got me really depressed. i wish i never lived


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## Tulip

You don't know how much it will affect her. She may have very mild learning difficulties. If she does have a disability then there ARE childminders and nannies and nurseries that can care for an extra needs child. The government would provide financial support to help in looking after her, having a sick child doesn't necessarily mean the end of everything you know. 

I once read an interesting analogy about raising a child with a disability:
www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html I appreciate you must be so lost now. I wonder if talking to the parents on bnb Special Needs forum would help?


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## Tulip

Tegans Mama and Emmea12uk both have children with Hydrocephalus alongside Spina Bifida - I'm sure if you message them they would talk you through how the Hydro is treated.


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## Angelinheaven

thank you for the reply. i dont live in UK so i have to come from another place. I have been to London hospital for MRI and amnio. amnio result not out yet. baby was moving a lot so the MRI pictures were not that clear. i am so disappointed from this fact as they should have taken more photos when the baby was in a good position. does it necessarily mean that my child will have a disability? or there is hope that all will be ok with her? sorry for all these questions but i feel safer talking with mummies like you


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## sarahhut

Hi all I want some advice if anyone can help me, I lost my little boy at 23 weeks + 4 days 2012 I didn know I was pregnant, when I went for my 1st scan they seen his head was flapping due to severe ventriculomegaly, I have a very healthy 4 year old girl, I'm currently expecting again babys due next may, but I'm very scared its going to happen again, I have been for my 12 week scan baby looks normal and there was no flapping of babys head, then I read it only happens in the 2nd trimester could someone please be able to tell me if its likey to happen again as I'm really scared and worried about this pregnancy, I want baby to just be healthy thanks x


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## Angelinheaven

PLEASE PRAY FOR A MIRACLE TO ALL THOSE MOTHERS AND MOTHERS TO BE WHOSE BABIES ARE ILL. Miracles do happen! I absolutely feel terrible and somtimes i just want to sleep for ever. PLEASE GOD HELP US MOTHERS and GIVE US HEALTHY BABIES.


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## DALILA36

Hello ladies, I am all new here and found a thread regarding this topic but upon registering I lost it and cant find it 

Well, yesterday I had my 20 week anatomy scan, the MD came in to tell me the baby looks great and everything looks normal except a ventricle in the brain which appeared to be measuring at 9.5mm. He went on to explain that the nromal ranges are between 5mm and 10mm but becasue of the position of the baby (he was upside down) he could not clearly determine, he spent an additional 20 minutes scanning the brain and trying to get measurements and trying to determine the location of the corpus callustrum (?spelling) to accurately measure it...the doc then told me and my partner that we would need to return in 2 weeks to repeat the scan in hopes that he would get a better image next time around and get an adequate measurement. He went on to tell us that even though it is in the higher range of normal that it is still normal and we should not worry about anything becasue the important thing is the baby looks great!

So naturally, I worried and am still worrying. By the way, I am having a boy, my 3rd child with my first tow being girls. I read on a thread here that larger sized ventricles are common in boys yet I cant find that same information on the web....go figure...

Ladies, how many of you experienced this same ordeal with postive results in the end???? I would appreciate any advice


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## Tulip

Hi Dalila, several people on this thread have had a similar story to you,with normal outcomes. My little boy was measured with an 10.1mm vent but it was within normal range a week later. He has just turned two, is very advanced, speaks in sentences and yesterday managed to load an episode of postman pat on the sky+ box and play it :shock:

I know it's scary when docs want to do further investigations but rest assured your son is measuring normal now, he's just being cautious. FX that your return scan can set your mind at ease :flower:


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## DALILA36

Hi Tulip and thank you for your reassurance. I am.sure you are right and i am just worrying for nothing.

So good to hear your little man is doing great, sounds like a genius!!!! I dont even know how to upload games or movies on my laptop :happydance:
I will post back after the 17th and update you on my outcome.

Happy day :flower:


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## bluedevil.zg

Hello ladies, and 1st of all thank you so much for all the experience you're sharing.

I am an expecting dad, wife is 29w0 today. Yesterday we went to ultrasound checkup and everything is OK except for the ventricules, which are 10.4mm. The doctor said that we shouldn't worry, that another doctor probably wouldn't even say anything about that, that everything else is good, but my wife is in panic. She is always too scared of everything, IMO, but now as she's pregnant she's really out of herself.
I did a ton of reading, research, and whatever I say can't calm her. I am a bit afraid too, I must admit, but I don't wanna show it to her, I just try to calm her down.

So, the doc checked thoroughly the head, bladder (filled with urine, so kidneys are working well he said), heart, umbilical cord, amniofluid, placenta, baby's tummy, weight, leg size, etc - all is perfect. Head is a few days smaller and legs are a few days larger than "by the book", which is also OK. We did screening in 1st trimester for trisomies, and all returned good, no amnio reccomended... Baby moves a lot, she was (it's a girl) moving also when the doctor was passing over her head with that ultrasound sonde, and she kicks and moves throughout the day a lot. So, basically, everything seems perfect, except for this 10.4 of V, and we are very worried for that. At 21w doc checked V's and they were 7mm, meaning they've grown - is that normal growth, to be expected as the whole baby grows? Back then, I presume, 7mm was normal and OK, and now it's 10.4

I'm trying to stay calm, but I find it very hard to do. And seeing my wife eating herself out and worrying sick because of that makes me wanna cry. I know I mustn't do that, I must keep telling her that it's nothing, that this one measure "at borderline" as the only factor means nothing (as the doctor said), but inside I really am worried.

What should we do? Next appointment is in 3 weeks, but I'm afraid she'll go completely insane in 3 weeks. Should we go to a private clinic? Ask for a second opinion? But then - why? It's really just this one measurement, and it's not "bad" or "mild" but "borderline".

I've read about two researches, done in 2005 in Italy and in 2007 in USA, and both doctors & their teams reccomended that this "borderline" be moved to 12mm instead of 10mm, because more than 97,5% of cases where V was between 10 and 12 and no other anomalies were found on the baby ended up perfectly well and without any problems for the baby (measured at 2 years of age). And it makes sense, and it concurs with all the data I've gathered in this thread here.

Still, I'm not at rest, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep my wife "in dark" about that for the next 3 weeks. Because if she even remotely smells that I too might have worries, that's it, she'll have to be sedated or something - it's just the way she is.


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## janey1975

I soo sympathise with you and particularly your lovely wife. In fact, I think me and your wife are extremely similar indeed. I worry so much. When we were told the measurement was 10mm at my 20 weeks scan I was extremely worried and even though when we were referred the same day to Kings in London and they only got 8.9mm as their largest measurement I was still in a panic. Like your wife, I was beside myself and I could not wait the 8 weeks until the next scan.

So, we decided to pay to go private and visited the Fetal Medicine Centre in Harley Street, London. We went on a Wednesday when the absolutely amazing Professor Kypros Nicolaides was available to offer his expertise. The lady that scanned us was great and the level of detail available on that machine was fantastic. Then when the Professor came in and looked over the measurement he was so very reassuring. When the leading expert in fetal medicine tells you not to worry then you take his word for it. Seriously, I would have paid thousands of pounds for that reassurance (it only cost about £200 and the best money I have ever spent). It was also lovely to know that any profits that they make goes into fetal research. You may have to wait to see him once you are there (he can get called to emergencies etc) but well worth the wait

I don't know where you are from but if you are able to see him I would recommend it. The website can be found here: https://www.fetalmedicine.com/fmc/. If you are not near London I would consider still getting a scan in a couple of weeks.

I think you have been a wonderful support for your wife. My husband was so calm and positive that it got me through it. I was so nervous when I was being scanned and the panic your wife would have felt I can still remember vividly. She just needs reassurance that all is going to be alright, which is what you are doing.

By the way, our little boy is 17 months old now and he is fantastic. There is nothing wrong with him and my measurements after that first scan went down at 24 wks and 28 wks. We didn't need any more tests later on in the pregnancy or when he was born. All was great and he is learning so well.

I am sure all will be well with your little girl. Like you say, it is only just over the 'normal' range and I think from my research that the normal range should be moved to around 11mm. I really think it makes people panic unnecessarily. 

Best of luck and do let us know how things go.


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## DALILA36

bluedevil.zg said:


> I've read about two researches, done in 2005 in Italy and in 2007 in USA, and both doctors & their teams reccomended that this "borderline" be moved to 12mm instead of 10mm, because more than 97,5% of cases where V was between 10 and 12 and no other anomalies were found on the baby ended up perfectly well and without any problems for the baby (measured at 2 years of age). And it makes sense, and it concurs with all the data I've gathered in this thread here.QUOTE]
> 
> Hello Bluedevil,
> 
> With all my research I still did not come across this interesting study you posted about (above). It sounds to me like this is more common than we all thought. That brings me relief...if it is going to help your wife sane, then get a 2nd opinion but since you mentioned everything else is fine then why not wait for the next scan?
> I know, easier said than done as I am also waiting for my 2nd scan on the 17th of this month.
> 
> I hope all works out well for you both, which to me sounds like it will :hugs:


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## Penny74

Found out last week we are having a boy and a girl. Very excited. Our girl apparently has venticulomegly. Her measurement Is 10mm which is mild. They could tell us very little as to what this could mean for sure but gave us a long list of maybes. Has anyone else had this? We were offered amnio but very wary of this due to the fact it's twins and do not want to risk losing both. At our last ultra scan there were no other indications of problems that they could see with baby girl. They were not able to get clear pictures of her brain or her heart. She is also 18% smaller than her brother (this was mentioned but didn't seem like a huge conern). Trying to be positive but still scared to death. Has anyone else gone through this while carrying twins? Did you opt for the amnio?


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## Tulip

Penny, 10mm is actually the top end of normal. Chances are your little girl is absolutely perfect :) Twins! What an absolute blessing!


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## Penny74

Our ultra sound to hopefully get better pictures and measurements is tomorrow. Trying to stay calm and positive.


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## Tulip

FX you get the all clear. I know how scary it is, imagining the worst xx


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## TTC#1Amanda

I also got told yesterday at 20week scan measures 10mm, but there have also been other things that came up which was an echo on heart and the pinky middle bone just started to densen up as it wasnt as dense the week before. My NT scan and bloods came back fine so im unsure what to think now? 

Next appt is 15th feb.. any one else the same?


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## phoebewyatt

hi, my baby boy in now 5 1/2 months old and doing very well with his milestones. he finally made an appearance 2 weeks after his due date and was born on the 1st september 2013. he had a scan on his soft spot when he was about 4 weeks old to confirm what they had already thought (that the fluid in the vents had gone back to what they would class as not a problem/back to what they would expect). i then went back 4 weeks after this scan to get the results and all was fine and the doctor said from the results wyatt (my baby boy) will be able to live just as any other baby and shouldnt have any problems. he is such a happy and healthly baby i am so thankful. 
wishing all you mums the same outcome and obviously wish you the best for the future xx


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## Scoobe

Wanted to jump in on this thread to tell our story on behalf of my wife and I, as I know 1st hand how anxious a time this can be.

11 days ago we went for our 20 week scan at exactly 20 weeks all excited about finding out the sex of the baby. The scan was going fantastically well, everything seemed perfect, including as the sonographer described as a heart exactly like those in the textbooks. Baby was looked at from top to bottom, found out he was a boy and then finally right at the end she mentioned that she had spotted an area of concern that she wanted to follow up on in the baby's brain. She then took a series of measurements.

We were then seen by a consultant who tried to explain what this meant, from "it could be nothing" to "it could mean serious disabilties" to "Of course we may find other issues in a detailed scan". A measurement of 11.9mm had been recorded at the "Posterior horn of the lateral ventricles"
Obviously we were shellshocked, anxious, scared, the works.

A follow up ultrasound was arranged 3 days later with a doctor. Obviously I went home and straight onto google, bad move. Even more fear and anxiety ensued. The next 3 days were a struggle.

The follow up scan seemed to go well, no other issues were discovered, one ventricle measured around 8 mm. We had to go for a walk around the hospital to get the boy to move so they she could measure the other side. The RH ventricule was 10.6mm. (so big difference from monday) She did say everything else she saw seemed normal but obviously the one ventricle was more prominent so we would need to be reffered to a fetal medicine centre for a detailed analysis from an "expert". My wife also had bloods taken to check for any infections.

Another week of worry, although slightly encouraged by the fact the doctor found nothing else during the scan. Cue more googling and reading of MRI's and amnios etc.....more worry.

Yesterday we went to the fetal medicine centre in Birmingham. We had a detailed scan with a proffessor in fetal medicine. He explained about the ventricles and the scan procedure. Obviously we watched his every move and every measurement he took. The ultrasound equipment itself seemed much more advanced and the picture much clearer. He did the scan and stopped part way through, "Did a consultant do a detailed scan?", to which we obviously said yes......."Well, I've looked around the baby's head and done all the checks and there is nothing to suggest this is not a perfectly healthy baby, all measurements are well within normal range and everything else is developing normally" - Cue big smiles all around. He went on to do a detailed heart analysis and all was fine.

He seemed to question the validity of the other scans and in the nicest way possible, hoped he would not be seeing us again and there was no reason for us to follow up with him. The measurements were both around 8mm. I'd have to question the different quality of equipment too in all this, I'm not sure if the ventrical had reduced or it was just mismeasurements.

I just wanted to post what happened to try and help people from initially fearing the worst, like I did. These are such tiny measurements that a slight move of the curser here or there can make a dramatic impact on peoples lives.

All we wanted to do was enjoy the pregnancy and for the last 2 weeks its felt like a bit of a rollar coaster and its been difficult to put a brave face on all the baby comments from people who didnt know what we were going through. I dont know what the rest of pregnancy will bring but for now, all is good.


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## Tulip

Hi Scoobe and thanks for sharing - its such a scary situation, im really glad you've got the all clear :) 

PW - Wyatt is gorgeous, I love your profile pic!


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## Isabel209

anyone with a hydrocephalus baby?


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## Jacobnmatty

Hi there I am 20wks preg with a third baby boy.

I found out at 20 wk scan that a measurement of fluid 12mm was picked up.

We were offered an Amnio which we refused due to risk of mc.

Dr said condition at present is "borderline fetal Ventriculomegaly"

I went for blood test today to rule out me having either CMV virus or Toxo Virus or HSV.

Very scared and anxious at moment and in need of support.


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## Tulip

Isabel209 said:


> anyone with a hydrocephalus baby?

Don't think we have any on this thread but there are some hydro mummies around - the only ones I know are also dealing with SB in their LOs xx


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## Tulip

Jacobnmatty said:


> Hi there I am 20wks preg with a third baby boy.
> 
> I found out at 20 wk scan that a measurement of fluid 12mm was picked up.
> 
> We were offered an Amnio which we refused due to risk of mc.
> 
> Dr said condition at present is "borderline fetal Ventriculomegaly"
> 
> I went for blood test today to rule out me having either CMV virus or Toxo Virus or HSV.
> 
> Very scared and anxious at moment and in need of support.

:hugs: The torch screen will hopefully give you some answers. Please do take comfort from the experiences on this thread, chances are your little boy is absolutely fine! And his big brothers are going to absolutely dote on him :) Let us know how it goes xx


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## Jacobnmatty

I got blood results back this morning, no sign
of infection which is great. 
Next scan in 2 weeks to see if fluid stable or increased.


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## Isabel209

thanks for letting me know... if there are any hdyro mums around, please send a message. thanks a lot


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## Jacobnmatty

Haven't been back for while.. We had repeat ultrasound at 24 wks and both left & right vents measured 14mm. I am having an MRI on June 21 and another ultrasound at 34 wks.
Dr said now out of the 'probably a normal variant' and 'something is up'.. But Drs have a real way of scaring us!


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## pompeyfc

I appreciate that this forum is quite old but if anyone is still around I would appreciate some further advice.
Currently pregnant with twin boys and at 26 weeks it was identified that one of the boys had a LV reading of 12mm no other abnormalities have been seen on the quite detailed US. Two weeks later there has been an increase to 14mm and of course this has raised concerns. I am awaiting blood tests to eliminate infection but this seems unlikely that only one twin would be infected and then an MRI. All of the reading from the internet is extremely gloomy especially as it seems to be progressive ventriculomegaly.
Any words of wisdom if anyone is still reading this would be gratefully received.


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## miracle101

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this so getting through all the pages of info on this thread. It's helping me so much so first of all, thank you to eveyone for sharing. 

I was told I would never have children, went through years of treatment and eventually we had one miracle baby. The pregnancy was horrendous and he was almost born at 26 weeks. Luckily they stopped the process and I was on bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy.

I was told after that I would never get pregnant again. Hey presto! We got another positive pregnancy test. We thought, finally we can enjoy a normal pregnancy...until we came to the 20 week scan. And then our lives fell apart and my pregnancy has been destroyed. 

The doctor told us the baby had hydrocephalus. I had no idea what it was so just listened to her. She said 2ventricles in the head were enlarged to 10.5 & 10.7 and the future was bleak. She told us that most people end the pregnancy as the quality of life for a child is so bad. You can imagine our reaction....We were scheduled another scan a week later and to think about having an amnio.

Through researching, we have discivered that were not even at the hydro stage yet but VM. Were furious with the doctor for how she presented the information. All this is also being done through Spanish as I live in Spain. An added complication. Anyway we went back on Wednesday where a team of 4doctors were waiting to talk to us. The head of the department told us that it's not looking good and the effects will be horrendous if this continues. In his experience he said this always gets worse and that termination could be on the cards. He said that the ventricles also look compressed so he's not happy with the outlook. However beyond that, our baby boy is perfect. No other complications and the head is perfect. 
They did an amio that day and the initial test came back today saying there are no alterations in the chromosomes. Now theyre checking for infections and in 4weeks we'll have an indepth study of the chromosomes in case soemthing else comes up. 

So this thread has given me some bit of hope. It's a relief to hear of so many positive stories. Ive lost 3kilos from the stress of the whole thing and I'm so drained emotionally. I just can't believe this is happening to us. What are the chances!


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## miracle101

Ive just realised that no-one has posted on this for ages. Is it still active?


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## miracle101

Hi,
I presume by now you've had your babies. How did everything go?


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## xanzaba

I hope that this thread can be revitalized. I read through and followed everyone's posts like a suspenseful novel, waiting for the updates. It was really good to hear so many positive stories, and the sad ones broke my heart. But it is good to get a real world view of this condition to balance Dr. Google.

I went for my 20 week anatomy ultrasound for our little boy and the tech was really quiet, which always freaks me out. She left saying the baby was measuring on time (even though I know I ovulated 5 days late, so he's actually measuring about a week ahead). The doctor came back in and started doing more measurements. He told us that the tech thought the ventricle was borderline large at 10.6, but looking at it he didn't think it looked big. He measured again and had two measurements at 8.6 and 9.1mm and said that he was more confident with those measurements because he thought the original measurement was taken on an angle.

So, we have another ultrasound in 2 weeks. The doctor brought up amnio and MRI. I turned down amnio because I had the cell free DNA test that was negative, and I can't see what it would tell us. Ruling out Edward's Syndrome was the only reason I would risk miscarriage. If the next measurement has gone up, I'll want an MRI to make sure there are no other anomalies.

I keep worrying that I ate something wrong or did something to cause this, and am renewed to being a good pregnant lady. I know rationally that there's nothing I did, but it can't hurt to behave extra well, can it?


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