Scan at 28 wks

[sandrine82]

had a growth scan yesterday where I was told that the femur was a little short, at 20 weeks all was well and within the percentile range. There has been growth but now he is on the bottom of the percentile range. The consultant said I shouldn't worry as head and abdominal has grown and are over the 50%tile, she said if she was measuring she would not measure the femur and this is a new thing for birth prediction calculations.. I have fibriods so not much space. She said I could request more tests if I was worried, should I?

[tazmania]

In my experience the consultants always err on the side of caution, so if they say it's not a big worry then they must mean it! However if you ARE worried then find out about these tests. You don't need any added stress and if this is in the back of your mind causing worry then it may prove best to get as much information as possible, provided the tests are not too invasive for you or anything. Xx

[StudentMidwife95]

Hey there,

After being told that your baby has a slightly short femur its only natural as a mummy for you to be worried. The consultant who offered you further testing would have recommended and most likely pushed for further testing if he/she believed it was required. But he/she didnt, they only offered it.

The truth of the matter is, some babies are short some are long. Some have small bodies with long legs and long arms, and some have long bodies with short arms and legs. Every pregnancy and every baby is unique and different. Unfortunately the average point doesnt take into consideration uniqueness. Obviously I am not your midwife and so therefore do not know how you are in pregnancy or if there is any risk factors associated with your pregnancy therefore my comment is more to reassure you that I see many women with babies who have 'small' femurs and that actually the baby is absolutely healthy. The best thing for you to do is to take your results of the scan along to see your midwife. Although your not due for another appointment for a little while your midwife will be more than happy to see you. Plus you'll get an extra antenatal check which is always a nice little assurance that everything is going well for you and baby.

Try not to worry yourself too much as that will do more harm than good. Book in to see your midwife ASAP.

However, one last thing. I do understand that some ladies find it difficult to de-stress and just need a definite answer. If you are one of those ladies who just need the answer rather than just a reassurance then talk the testing over with your midwife. Your midwife will always have your best interest at heart so just talk it over and ask as many questions as you can possibly think of! That is what we are here for.

Lots of love to you and babyx

[kaz123_3]

my cousin had to go for growth scans with her first baby as they thought he was very small all the way through her pregnancy but when she actually had her little boy he was actually the right size for his body and weight it was as if he had had a little it of a growth spurt at the end of her pregnancy. have they booked you in for any further scans? if so they could be waiting to see if the aby has a growth spurt as well. if you are still feeling worried you are in your rights to request a second opinion and to be told about any possible further tests that can be carried out.

[Kateb89]

Do you know what percentile babies femur was in?? My little boy was below third centile at 20 weeks and so they also measured the humerus which was also below third centile. We was referred to fetal medicine for more scans because of this. My little man is now 5 months and doing well. Please don't let worrying ruin this for you. I was so upset through my pregnancy with worry and ended up being induced with high blood pressure. X