OBJECTIVE: Fetal echogenic bowel (FEB) is a soft marker found on second 
trimester sonography. Our main aim was to determine the outcome of infants who 
presented with FEB and secondarily to identify additional sonographic findings 
that might have clinical relevance for the prognosis.
DESIGN: We reviewed all pregnancies in which the diagnosis FEB was made in our 
Fetal Medicine Unit during 2009-2010 (N=121). We divided all cases into five 
groups according to additional sonographic findings. Group 1 consisted of cases 
of isolated FEB, group 2 of FEB associated with dilated bowels, group 3 of FEB 
with one or two other soft markers, group 4 of FEB with major congenital 
anomalies or three or more other soft markers, and group 5 consisted of FEB with 
isolated intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
RESULTS: Of 121 cases, five were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 116 cases, 
48 (41.4%) were assigned to group 1, 15 (12.9%) to group 2, 15 (12.9%) to group 
3, 27 (23.2%) to group 4, and 11 (9.5%) to group 5. The outcome for group 1 was 
uneventful. In group 2 and 3, two anomalies, anorectal malformation and cystic 
fibrosis, were detected postnatally (6.7%). In group 4, mortality and morbidity 
were high (78% resp. 22%). Group 5 also had high mortality (82%) and major 
morbidity (18%).
CONCLUSIONS: If FEB occurs in isolation, it is a benign condition carrying a 
favourable prognosis. If multiple additional anomalies or early IUGR are 
observed, the prognosis tends to be less favourable to extremely poor.