"My Daughter was Diagnosed with Bilateral Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney."
Mother of Ava:
"At 20 weeks pregnant, Ava was diagnosed with Bilateral Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney.
Her kidneys did not work, there was no amniotic fluid, and her organs would not be able to develop.
She was not expected to live for more than a few minutes, and we were told she would never make noises.
She was born crying, and lived for two beautiful hours."
Ava Brienne Lobato was born on August 7, 2019 at 11:20am. She weighed 5lbs 2oz, and was 18 inches long.
In Bilateral Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney (MCDK), both kidneys do not develop properly while a baby is growing in the womb.
Instead of working kidneys, there are bundles of many cysts, which are like sacs filled with liquid. These fluid-filled pockets replace the healthy kidney tissue.
The cysts may be very large at first, though over time they get smaller and the kidney gradually shrinks.
This can happen in one kidney, called "unilateral", or both kidneys, called "bilateral". Babies diagnosed with MCDK have no working kidneys.
Here are some of the most common questions and answers about MCDK.
How common is Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney?
1 in 4,300 babies are born with unilateral MCDK. Bilateral MCDK is extremely rare.
When does Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney show up on an ultrasound?
Usually, MCDK is seen on a pregnancy ultrasound around the 20 week anatomy scan. During this ultrasound, your OBGYN will look at your baby growing in the womb and measure the amount of amniotic fluid.
How is Multicystic Kidney diagnosed?
MCDK is often seen on an ultrasound. Babies with MCDK will have one or both kidneys that look different from usual. The cysts on the kidneys vary in size and shapes. Some say that it looks like a "bunch of grapes". Your OBGYN may, also, notice that there is too little amniotic fluid.
Do babies with unilateral Multicystic Kidney survive?
Babies with only one working kidney do not usually have any problems. The affected kidney may shrink and disappear by the time the child is five years old. Then the other kidney does the work of two kidneys and, usually, gets larger.
Do babies with bilateral Multicystic Kidney survive?
Unfortunately, babies born with bilateral MCDK often do not survive. If they do, they will need intensive care, which might include a kidney transplant or dialysis.
What causes MCDK?
There is no known cause for MCDK and in rare cases it's due to a genetic condition.
Mother of Wilde offers support to MCDK families
For MCDK families like Ava's, Mother of Wilde offers beautiful memorial prints. Our design team created our best seller, the Classic Biblical Birth Print, for Ava's parents.
This customized loss memorial of Ava included her:
photo
full name
birth details - birthdate, birth length, birth weight and time of birth
meaning of name
birthstone
birth flower
season of birth
and choice of scripture
Our vision of creating faith-based child loss memorials has expanded across country and beyond the United States borders. We are honored to create keepsakes of your children that you cherish and that bring you hope for years to come.
Mother of Wilde's child memorials gifts honor sweet babies and their legacy that will live on through their families. It gives bereaved families an opportunity to share their child's photo and story. Our mission is to encourage bereaved moms and dads to share their baby's story. Our hope is that through our baby remembrance gifts, we can point families to the joy, healing, and peace that can only come from Jesus.