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We went to a Fetal Heart Specialist yesterday and it turns out that the echogenic heart focus was misdiagnosed by the OBGYN. We are very relieved, but wish we had seen the specialist right away instead of waiting for 3 weeks.

My Dr. told me my baby also has an echogenic and she said no need for amnio as well. It is emotional but we're hoping for the best and decided to not do any further tests but another level 1II ultrasound around 34 weeks. I am now 31 weeks thank you all for your posts.

I have an appointment tomorrow with a high risk specialist so I can get a level 2 songram. Despite the fact my Dr. initially told me I would get another sonogram, at my last appointment she said she wasn't recommending it since my triple screen came back with a small chance of Downs. My insurance will only conver a small portion of the level 2 somogram, but I need to do it for my own well-being. I feel like my Drs are almost too laid back. I understand why they did not think I needed amnio, but I would think the level 2 ultrasound and possible echocardiogram should be recommended. Anyway..wish me luck.

I posted a while back about the spot on my son's heart..I am now 35 weeks and my most recent u/s showed the spot has dissolved! yeah...there is hope for all of you. Good luck!

I am so happy to have found this website. I too, unfortunately am having to go through the stress of being told that an echogenic focus was found in my baby girl's 20wk ultrasound. My RN requested a 2nd ultrasound in 3wks although Genetics didn't feel it was necessary since their weren't any other indicators. My AFP blood test were negative so thats good but I am 35yrs old and am a nervous wreck about this. I did not have the amnio when offered and am still not confident that I would want it. Thank you for bringing up this issue. This forum has really helped me to find some comfort as I am finding it hard to discuss this matter with friends/family.

Patty, thanks for your post. I have also found these forums helpful. Well meaning friends have sometimes made me more upset with the "don't worrys." I had a whole ordeal this week. (See previous post) I had my appointment with the high risk Dr (though I am not considered high risk. ) My ob offered this option to me and I took it. The Dr. was arrogant and rude..I am hoping he was just having a sleep-deprived, overworked day and he is not always like that. Both he and the sonographer looked at the wrong med chart and started talking to me about things I had never heard of. They didn't even apologize when they realized they had the wrong chart. Plus, my ob goofed! She suggedted a follow-up level 2 sonogram past the time they are allowed. I am almost in 3rd trimester. To make a long story short, the echogenic focus is still there, but after spending forever waiting for this appointment (3 hour delay) I got very little new info. Most likely I am paying for this expensive visit with my own cash since it was an elective follow-up. I know how hard the obgyn profession is and I know my obs have a great reputation, so I am not going to complain about the fact the referral sheet one of them filled out has a major mistake on it. I choose my battles and I don't want to have to find a new team of obs. Still...it's all frustrating!!

Anne, you might want to have the level 2 u/s submitted anyway to your insurance...I went for a 2nd opinion on my own when this all first started with me and I called my insurance and they told me that they would only cover 80% but when I got the bill from my insurance they ended up covering the whole thing! I was very happy about that. Insurance co. are so backwards..it depends on who you talk to you when you call..then when the bill is submitted things can be entirely different. Good luck to you! as i posted above the spot on my baby's heart has dissolved....my prayers are with you too.

Anne, I'm so sorry to hear of your dilemma with your doctors appts. I know how it is having seen an arrogant doctor. I have two children and during my last pregnancy I saw someone other than my normal OBGYN for bleeding. I asked how serious my situation was and he just looked at me dumbfounded and said well you know bleeding for 3 mos isn't normal and went on to tell me that I would more than likely miscarry. Thank goodness he was wrong! But his approach was just awful! I strayed away from the subject at hand but I just wanted to share. I wish you the best of luck and please keep us updated on your situation. I have my 2nd ultrasound on 2/24 at 25 weeks. I'll post my results after that date.

Anne I am 26 weeks and my little girl has one too. I went for my 2nd opinion u/s today. The dr. told me that sometimes they are just there. He was a specailist and he said he sees at least one every day. He said they are very common. My reg OB made it seem like no big deal at first and then for hte follow up u/s, they scared me. I was just like you, sobbing and worried about the worst. But today he explained it to me that sometime the ligaments that operate the heart valves grow too close together and then they calcify which is what the white spot is a calcified group of cells. It doesn't affect the functions of the heart or anything else. He said all the other functions of the baby are perfect and there is nothing wrong. He said he could go away on it's own or it might not, but if not it doesn't matter. It isn't going to hurt anything. My reg OB said that 20 years ago we wouldn't have even seen them, it is just that technology is so much more advanced now, that we are seeing things that don't really matter. I hope this helps to comfort you some. I know how you feel, just ask alot of questions of your Dr. and don't worry. Worrying will only cause more problems. You and your baby don't need the added stress. Good Luck :)

when i was 18 weeks pregnant, they found a white spot on my baby's heart and also choroid plexus cysts (CPC). i was terrified. . My doctor also advised me since these are soft markers and everything else ok with my baby i don't have to worry much. However, i went for the amnio, the result came negative. i am so relaxed now. Good luck to all of you. thanks so much for all the posts which gave me some kind of peace in my mind until i get the amnio result.

I thought about having the amnio done but since the echogenic focus wasn't detected until I went for my 20 week ultrasound and wasn't told about it until a week after that and was further along in my pregnancy I feared what consequences that may have. I was told the further along I am the more risk involved so I pa__sed. I am now 24 weeks along and will be having my 2nd ultrasound next Friday. I am anxious and nervous about what they will find. Hopefully, the focus has closed but if not I will be referred to a prenatal specialist. I'll keep posting my updates in hopes that it will help others. This forum has definitely helped me a lot.

I had this finding and they sent me to a neonatel specialist to look at it closer. They sent me to the specialist at 22 weeks and that doc said all it okay. Don't worry, it's so hard not too. You know what one of the doc's said to me that made me go home in tears... that it's a__sociated with downs. I was terrified. Here that doc shouldn't have said that to me b/c there's many others factors that come into play with down's. I'm sure you're little one is doing great!

Lilu, yes, I was told that it was a__sossicated with downs syndrome as well thats why I'm so scared. We all want healthy babies. They tried to ease my concerns by telling me that their were no other factors which showed downs. I guess most of the time their are multiple factors involved. Also, my AFP blood test was negative for downs so that led them to believe that I didn't need any Genetic counseling however my NP did request a 2nd ultrasound to check the growth of the foci spot. If it shows growth then I will need to see a prenatal specialist.

Update: I got my results from my 2nd ultrasound. The findings showed that the focus is still present in baby’s heart but shows no growth from the last ultrasound (which is good news), & baby’s growth is normal (no abnormality) so no further ultrasounds are necessary at this point. The focus/opening is near the heart & lung so if its a__sociated with the lung it will not close until after birth when baby needs oxygen. My first son had a similar situation when he was born but it wasn’t detected until after I gave birth so this gives me hope that thats all it is since he was okay after being in ICU for a week until it closed. When I asked if its not a__sociated with the lung and it doesn’t close what the worst case scenario would be she couldn't answer…….she said she didn’t know. She suggested that once I give birth I request an ultrasound of baby’s heart. So until then it seems like it will be a waiting game. To some degree the results are relieving but of course I will be much happier when baby joins us and is 100% healthy. Thanks so much for this support group that you initiated Anne. Are there any updates with you?

I just had a sonogram yesterday and was told I was having a boy!! Just when I was overwhelmed with joy, the N.P came in and told me I needed to have the Quad test and a Level 2 sonogram. I go for the sonogram on May 2nd and should have results from the bloodwork back on Monday. I have been so full of worry the past two days. The MD rea__sured me that I should not worry and that he sees this almost 20 times a week (I'm sure was a bit of an exaggeration). He said if it were up to him, he wouldn't even order the Level 2 sonogram, but he's required to. I am just praying that my precious baby boy will be alright. This board has helped TREMENDOUSLY!

To tweetie90 - check out the "over 35" section of the forum, there is an extended thread on echogenic foci. I', sure your son is fine, don;t worry, tons of people have this.