Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction (LUTO) and Fetal Shunting

Lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) is a blockage in the system that carries urine out of your baby's the body. A blockage can stretch the bladder, hurt the kidneys and lower the fluid around your baby, causing a risk for poor lung development.

Without treatment, LUTO can cause kidney damage and may even be life-threatening. At the University of Chicago Medicine Fetal and Neonatal Care Center, our team is here to provide the care your baby needs even before they are born.

Find a maternal-fetal medicine specialist

When do we use fetal shunting?

Fetal shunting means placing a small tube placed before birth to let fluid out of your baby's body.

This may help to:

• Lower the risk of trouble breathing from low fluid
• Protect the kidneys from injury

Every case is checked in detail with imaging, such as ultrasound and MRI, and testing of the fetal urine.

What to Expect

First visit:

• We use safe scans, like ultrasound and MRI.
• Our team performs tests, like vesicocentesis, which tests your baby’s urine to check for kidney injury. This test is repeated within 24–72 hours.
• You will meet with experts in maternal-fetal medicine, genetic counseling, neonatology and pediatric urology.

Second visit:

• You will check in at the Family Birth Center - Hyde Park for the shunt procedure.
• Your team will give you anesthesia to keep you asleep during the procedure and as comfortable as possible afterward.
• Your baby will also receive medicine to help them stay still during the surgery.
• Using ultrasound for guidance, your provider will carefully place the shunt.
• After the procedure, you will stay in the hospital for 24 hours so we can watch you and your baby closely.
• We will give you medicine to prevent infection and stop contractions.

After the shunt is in place, we will watch your baby closely with weekly ultrasounds. You will deliver at our Family Birth Center - Hyde Park, where our surgery and neonatology teams will be ready to provide expert care to your baby right away.

Want to learn more about LUTO or fetal shunting?

The first step is an evaluation.

Call us at 773-702-6118 to learn more.

We encourage you to contact us as soon as possible so we can begin planning for your baby’s care.