Hello doctor, I am 28 weeks pregnant. All my fetal scans taken so far shows, my baby has only one kidney, which is the left one, and it is working normally. I have attached the document. I doubt whether there is a left kidney somewhere down, not sure, but if it is there, it would be very small. But for now, let us say the baby has one normal kidney. After delivery, what is the process of ultrasound and blood tests? Will it be done immediately or after a couple of days? And throughout the pregnancy, if all scan result shows normal kidney, then what is the chance of problem to the kidney in future?
Hello. Many children with a single kidney will have a normal life without further complications. But still there is some risk of development of some problems later in life : 1. Development of high blood pressure. 2. Urinary tract infections. 3. Decreased kidney functions. The development of these problems is variable. This entails: 1. The baby should go for a scan after birth. 2. Need follow up with a Pediatric Nephrologist. 3. Regular checking of blood pressure and urine for infection and protein loss must be done. 4. The child should protect his kidney and reduce the risk of complications later in life by eating a healthy diet, doing plenty of exercise and not smoking. I hope this helps.