Measurement of the Fetal Urine Production Rate Using Real-Time Ultrasound in Fetuses with Bilateral Hydronephrosis

Abstract

The fetal urine production rate (FUPR) in 147 normal fetuses after 27 weeks of gestation and 5 with bilateral hydronephrosis was measured using real-time ultrasound. Later, the correlation between FUPR and renal function was evaluated postnatally. In the normal fetuses, FUPR (mean ± 2 SD) increased gradually from 1.9 ± 1.6 at 27–28 weeks of gestation to 7.5 ± 4.5 ml/l0 min at 37–38 weeks of gestation. In the 5 cases with bilateral hydronephrosis, FUPR was within normal ranges and increased with advances in gestation. Intrauterine intervention was not performed in any of the cases, and, at present, renal insufficiency is nil.

Intra-observer repeatability when assessing the foetal urinary bladder volume by the Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis and SUM-OF-CYLINDERS methods: A pilot study

“…1–7 During the filling phase, the increasing volume of the urinary bladder can be observed, documented and estimated by ultrasound. 8–16 Volumes taken at different time points within one filling phase allow the hourly foetal urine production rate (HFUPR) to be calculated (Figure 1).

Figure 1.Initially, the bladder was filled up to 19 ml before emptying and a new filling phase began.

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