What is the most common cause of echogenic bowel in a fetus?

Echogenic bowel is an ultrasound finding characterized by increased echogenicity of the fetal bowel, which can raise concern for various underlying conditions. The most common cause, which is idiopathic, means that despite thorough investigation, no specific or identifiable reason is found for the echogenicity. This is particularly significant as it indicates that in many cases, echogenic bowel will resolve without any clinical implications or associated anomalies.

It's important for practitioners to understand that while other causes, such as infections (e.g., cytomegalovirus), aneuploidy (chromosomal abnormalities), and bleeding, can indeed lead to echogenic bowel findings, they are less frequently encountered in comparison to cases where no specific etiology is identified. As such, while it’s essential to consider these other potential causes during evaluation, idiopathy is recognized as the most prevalent reason for this ultrasound finding in the general population of fetuses.