quick clicks

pregnancy today articles

pregnancy today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Kidney Stones While Expecting

Diagnosing and Treating during Pregnancy

By Sue Poremba

Tara Bauer from Pompano Beach, Fla., was well into her pregnancy when she discovered blood in her urine. "I got scared," she says. "I didn't know where the blood was coming from."

She immediately contacted her doctor. The checkup gave no signs of bleeding from the vagina, so Bauer knew the baby was safe. However, her urine sample was acidic, which is usually a sign of a bladder infection. Bauer was given antibiotics, and having dealt with bladder infections before pregnancy, she was familiar with the symptoms (blood in the urine sometimes being one such symptom) and the treatment. However, the symptoms did not improve with the medications, as they should have. Her medications were changed and she was sent home.

"Until that point, I was pain free, but by the time I got home from that appointment, I was in a lot of pain," says Bauer. She turned around and went back to the hospital where the doctor now determined Bauer had kidney stones, of which she had no prior history. Luckily, the stones passed through her system quickly and she had no reoccurrence of them.

Bauer's bout with kidney stones while pregnant is not uncommon. Although pregnant women are no more likely to develop kidney stones than non-pregnant women, they are more likely to suffer with them while pregnant. The stones have likely been in the body before pregnancy but were dormant. They are diagnosed more often in pregnant women because they cause discomforts and concerns non-pregnant women might otherwise ignore.

Although a kidney stone is not a risk to the fetus directly, it can pose problems for the mother. It is important for doctors to diagnose where in the urinary tract the stones are. If the stones are in the kidney, they usually pose no problem, but as they move into the urinary tract, they can begin to cause complications.

Unfortunately, diagnosing kidney stones in a pregnant woman can be difficult. "We're limited to what we can do," says Dr. Andrew Portis, medical director of the HealthEast Kidney Stone Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul, Minn. Dr. Portis says normally a CAT scan is used to determine whether or not the patient has kidney stones, but, except in emergency situations, pregnant women should avoid contact with radiation. Instead of a CAT scan, doctors will use an ultrasound, which is not as reliable. "Just because you can't see a stone doesn't necessarily mean they aren't there," he says. It isn't always easy to judge by the symptoms alone, either, because most of the symptoms occurring from kidney stones (pain and discomfort) are also a natural part of pregnancy.

Want to see more?

• A Major Pain: Migraine Headaches and Pregnancy
• The Time is Now: 10 Tips to Keep Healthy During Your Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Gingivitis: An Avoidable Condition
• Talk about it!

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.