Visit our foundation to give a gift.
 View Locations Near Me
Main Campus – Hartford
Connecticut Children’s – Waterbury
Urgent Care – Farmington
Specialty Care Center – Danbury
Connecticut Children’s Surgery Center at FarmingtonÂ
Specialty Care Center – Fairfield
Search All LocationsÂ
Find a doctorÂ
Contact Us Â
Search SpecialtiesÂ
Find A DoctorÂ
Request an Appointment
Locations
Amenities and Services
Who’s Who on Care Team
Getting Ready for Surgery
What to Expect—Picture Stories
Disney Initiative
Pay a Bill
Understanding the Different Fees
Pricing Transparency and Estimates
Child Life
Raytheon Technologies Family Resource Center
Family Advisory Council
Transition Programs
Advocacy
Legal Advocacy: Benefits, Education, Housing
Electronic Health Records
MyChart
Share Your Story
Pay a BillÂ
Login to MyChartÂ
Specialty Referrals
Clinical Support Services Referrals
Inpatient Referrals
ED/Transport Referrals
About the Network
Join the Network
Graduate Medical Education
Continuing Medical Education
MOC/Practice Quality Improvement
Educating Practices in the Community (EPIC)
For Nurses
Learning & Performance
Research
Resources
CLASP/Referral Guidelines
Meet our Physician Relations Team
Request Medical Records
Join our Referring Provider Advisory Board
View our Physician Callback Standards
Read & Subscribe to Medical NewsÂ
Register for Email Updates
Update Your Practice Information
Refer a Patient Â
Contact OneCall Â
Find and Print Health Info Â
Health Information For Parents
A fetal abdominal
cyst is a bubble of fluid in a balloon-like bag in an unborn baby’s belly.
A fetus can have one fetal abdominal cyst, or more. The most common types include:
ureter (urine-carrying tube), or the bladder
In a female fetus, the most common type of a fetal abdominal cyst is an ovarian cyst.
A cyst can cause problems if it:
Fetal abdominal cysts usually don’t cause problems unless they get very large. A big cyst can put pressure on the baby’s developing lungs and other organs. This can cause problems such as:
The cysts usually don’t cause any symptoms during the pregnancy.
Sometimes doctors can feel the cyst in the baby’s belly after birth. Other symptoms of a fetal abdominal cyst after birth include:
Cysts that are more than 2 inches (5 cm) across may also cause:
diaphragm so the baby’s lungs can’t expand well
Most fetal abdominal cysts happen when an accidental slip in the normal growth process makes an extra layer or bubble that fills with fluid. Doctors don’t know why it happens. There is nothing the baby’s parents can do to keep a fetal abdominal cyst from forming.
Ovarian cysts often happen because the unborn baby is exposed to the mother’s hormones. There is nothing the baby’s mother can do to prevent one.
A fetal abdominal cyst is not a cancer.
A routine ultrasound scan of an unborn baby usually will find a fetal abdominal cyst. An imaging specialist (a radiologist) will study the cyst’s:
By studying the images of the cyst and how it changes with gentle pressure, the radiologist might be able to tell what kind it is. Knowing the type of cyst helps the baby’s doctors know what kind of special care, if any, is needed at birth or in the first few weeks of life.
If the screening prenatal ultrasound doesn’t show what kind of cyst the baby has, the radiologist may:
Doctors make a plan for treating a fetal abdominal cyst based on:
The obstetrician (pregnancy specialist) and radiologist will check the cyst with ultrasound scans every few weeks until birth. The doctors work as a team to decide if a C-section delivery is best. But most babies with fetal abdominal cysts are delivered through the vagina.
Surgery to remove a cyst (cystectomy) is sometimes needed to keep it from blocking the digestive tract or to prevent torsion. Pediatric surgeons usually use minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy) to remove cysts.
After birth, a baby isn’t exposed to the mother’s hormones. So an ovarian cyst usually goes away on its own within a few months. The baby’s doctor checks ultrasound scans regularly to be sure the cyst goes away.
A large fetal ovarian cyst — one that is more than about 2 inches (5 cm) across — can twist on its stem and squeeze off the blood vessels that carry blood to and from the ovary. To prevent this, doctors usually:
For a smaller fetal ovarian cyst, the baby’s doctor will order an ultrasound scan during the first few weeks after birth to:
If the cyst doesn’t go away on its own, the doctor may recommend a cystectomy to remove it.
Sometimes, treating an ovarian cyst requires removal of the ovary it grew from. The ovary on the other side can release enough hormones and eggs for normal sexual development and pregnancy later in life.
A prenatal ultrasound is a safe and painless test that shows a baby’s shape and position. It can be done in the first, second, or third trimester of pregnancy.
A fetal echocardiogram (also called a fetal echo) uses sound waves to create pictures of an unborn baby’s heart.
Gastroschisis is when a baby is born with the intestines, and sometimes other organs, sticking out through a hole in the belly wall near the umbilical cord.
A fetal lung mass is an unusual lump that grows inside or next to an unborn babyâs lung. Some are treated before birth, while others are removed after the baby is born.
Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (also called a fetal MRI) uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed pictures of an unborn baby.
Find out what tests may be offered to you during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Find out what tests may be offered to you during weeks 13 through 26 of pregnancy.
Find out what tests may be offered to you during weeks 27 through 40 of pregnancy.
Learn what a NICU visit will be like for your little one, what you can do to help, and how to find support for yourself.