To understand this condition, it is helpful to understand how the urinary tract works. In simple terms, the kidneys filter the blood and remove waste products that are then taken out of the body in the urine. The urine collects in the pelvis, which empties into a tube (the ureter) and then drains into the bladder. From the bladder, the urine drains out of the body through the urethra.
During pregnancy, the placenta does most of this work for the baby. The baby’s kidneys produce urine starting as early as the fifth week of gestation. While the baby is inside the womb, the urine produced by the baby's kidneys adds to the amount of amniotic fluid (fluid surrounding the baby in the uterus). The fluid is important to help the lungs develop. It also gives the baby a "cushion" and provides him or her space to move.
Twenty to 30 percent of birth defects found before babies are born involve the urinary tract. Fifty percent of these babies have a condition called hydronephrosis.
Hydronephrosis occurs when the pelvis becomes enlarged because urine is collecting in the area of the kidneys. Doctors can diagnose hydronephrosis when the enlargement exceeds 10 mms at 20 to 24 weeks of pregnancy.