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i am so happy for all that have healthy babies and wish all the same results

Hello Patty, was just researching for a paper and found this for you. I hope it helps!! From MedFriendly.com: Echogenic cardiac foci are not an unusual or abnormal finding in an echocardiography of the heart. In fact, up to 7.4% of unborn children have echogenic cardiac foci when the mother is in the second trimester (months 3 to 6). The vast majority of children with echogenic cardiac foci are born normal. This is especially the case for the children of mothers who are under 35 years of age. Only rarely are echogenic cardiac foci a__sociated with birth defects. It has been suggested that the presence of echogenic cardiac foci is a__sociated with a greater risk of the child having Down syndrome. Down's syndrome is an abnormality that is present from birth that results in mental impairments and a characteristic physical appearance (small facial features, large tongue that sticks out, a flat back area of the head, and hands that are short and broad). There is conflicting evidence, however, as to whether echogenic foci in the heart lead to an increased risk for Down syndrome. That is, some studies have found that there is no increased risk whereas others have found that unborn children with echogenic cardiac foci are four times more likely to have Down syndrome. Many studies suggest that unborn children with echogenic cardiac foci have about a 1% chance of having Down syndrome.

thanks for all the posts. I am about 18 weeks pregnant. i went for my ultrasound 24th january and they found EIF on my baby's left side of the heart and also they found CPC (Choroid Plexus Cyst). Since they found 2 soft marks, My Dr asked me to go for genetic counseling. Did any one have these 2 marks on your ultrasound? pls let me know. Pls pray for my little baby.... thanks for all the posts...

HI, EVERYONE I AM 21 WEEKS PREGNANT WITH A BABY BOY. I AM SCHEDULE TO HAVE AN AMINO ON VALENTINES DAY. AND I AM REALLY SCARED, BECAUSE THERE IS A RISK OF HAVING A MISCARRIAGE. IN A WAY I WANNA KNOW IF MY SON HAS DOWNS THEN AGAIN I DONT WANNA KNOW. ITS HARD TO DEAL WITH THIS TYPE OF THING AND BEING ONLY 18 YEARS OF AGE. BUT I REALLY HOPE EVERYTHING IS OK. I PRAY EVERY NIGHT AND DAY. REALLY IM THINKING ABOUT OPTING OUT OF THE AMINO. PLEASE PRAY FOR MY SON AND I...................THANKS!

BREONNA, did they offer you the AFP test? I would get that and not the amnio and hope that the AFP comes out fine. Good luck, keep us posted. Joy

Breonna, I too had two soft markers. My daughter had dialted kidneys and the echogenic focus and she was born completely healthy. There is a board over on babycenter.com that has to do with women who have all had two markers for downs, and their babies were fine also. I would check out that site if I were you. It really helped me get through the last months of my pregnancy without worrying (as much) . good luck to you! let me know if you have trouble finding the site. Tanya

Hi all, My baby boy was born normal and healthy on jan 4th 2006. Keep the faith!!

Vini- Congrats on the birth of your child. Thank you so much for letting us know that all is well! It is so helpful. I started a post about the whole echogenic foci on the complications chain and to make a long story short I have had some frustrating experiences with mixed recommendations regarding further testing, etc. Where was your child's echogenic focus? Do you have to follow up with a pediatrician?

Hi everyone- I just wanted to let everyone know that I had a baby boy a very healthy baby boy on 2/3. I posted earlier in the year. good luck to you all and god bless!

Hi, I am 25 weeks, and at my Dr. visit in January, they told me that they found the dreaded white spot in my daughter's heart. They scheduled me for another US, which I had today. The spot is still there. When they first told me about it, it was described as an extra group of cells that don't mean anything, but they would want to do another US to see if it goes away. Well it didn't. Now I am really scared. I opted not to do the Triple Screen, becasue I wouldn't have wanted to be faced with a decision when all the test would tell me was if there was a possiblity of a defect. Possiblily not definitely. Now I feel guilty, and am really scared. They are sending me to see a specialist next week on Valentine's day to get another US or EKG, not sure which. I hope everything is ok. I have a 2 year old that was fine, and never had any problems. This time they tell me that everything else is developing the way it should and all is functioning properly, but now knowing what this could mean, it terrifies me. I will keep you posted. :)

Hello everyone! My name is Heather, I went for my 20 week US yesterday and they found the "soft marker" of EIF on HIS heart. I now have a level 2 US scheduled for the 1st of March. I am, of course, nervous. I am 35 and this is my first baby!! However, the doctor did state that in the "six years that he has been tracking this, not one baby with EIF has been born with Down's"...this is very rea__suring, but I am still scared.

I posted back in December about my baby girl. A spot on the heart was found. Well, she was born February 8th and is perfectly healthly! Another scare that turned out to be nothing. That seems to be the theme of this board! Best wishes to all of you. Everyone is in my prayers for a healthy baby!

Hi all, I just went for my 20 week US and found out that my baby is having the same white spot. After having a quite difficult time with my previous pregnancies (miscarried twice) hearing that there is again something wrong with my baby, scares the hell out of me. I did the new Neuchal screen test for DS at 13 weeks that came out 1:10000 and my AFP was normal. This white spot finding puts me at 1:9000 but I'm still wondering what if (just like everyone else in here, right?). I'm hoping that everything will be fine . Good luck to all, let you know how are things going.

I had the same thing and my baby is perfect.

I just really want to thank everyone for posting their stories on this website. i will pray for you all. today my sis found out that their baby has an echogenic foci spot on the heart. i have felt sick with worry all day - so could only imagine what she and her husband are going through. reading this website has given me a better understanding though and i now feel very hopeful that everything will be OK. she is only 30 and their is only 1 soft mark.. so from reading your words these are good signs. please pray for my sisters baby. when i look at the dates of your stories most have probably had their babies... i hope they are happy and healthy. thanks again,

Is DS related to family history? My husband's sis has a DS child? Does this increase my chances of having one? Pls tell me. Am 28 years old.