Low growth percentile at 28 weeks

misslaura314

I had a growth scan at 28 wks today and he is at 17%. Went down from 20 at my 20 week. So they are concerned and want me to get another ultrasound at 32 weeks. I. so worried why he isnt growing as he should be.

cb123391

@misslaura314 it's hard not to stress but just know that things can change and that their calculations are not always correct.. and the babes are so tiny that one little measurement that was off even a tiny bit can make a huge difference. 
One of my twins was measuring in the 13th percentile and went up to the 30th.. the other is in the 52nd and he weighs only 4 oz more and is the same in the other measurements. Take it easy, breathe and know that you're going to have a healthy baby. Well wishes with you 

mrscammack

Have your doctors done a level 2 ultrasound to rule out placenta issues? I have a valmentous cord insertion this pregnancy, which was diagnosed through an ultrasound with a specialist, this cord issue can apparently cause growth concerns for the baby so I get ultrasounds every 4 weeks to monitor growth. Just curious if they’ve done any further investigation into what (it anything) might be the cause. 

My doctors have been very reassuring that growth issues aren’t necessarily anything to worry about as long as they are monitored regularly. Small babies can be perfectly healthy so try not to worry until you know definitively there is something to be concerned about. Good luck! 

strickland8052

My baby's growth rate at my 20 week scan was about 15%, and they too made me come back for another scan four weeks later. My doctor told me that they don't get *really* worried unless it is below 10%, and they were just doing the repeat scan to make sure it doesn't drop below that. Even then, she said plenty of babies below 10% come out perfectly healthy. She said that the percentages could also be off for our baby, because they don't account for things like the parent's race, age, weight, etc. She said our baby's head size is what is bringing her growth rate down, and we rationed that I must just have little headed babies because our daughter has also always been on the lower percentage in head size. 

quinniebear

My sister's daughter measured 7% at around this time, and she ended up being a perfectly healthy 7+ lbs at birth. Try not to worry!  Things change and ultrasounds are not 100% accurate! 

mizzmeg

As easy as it is to say don’t stress, try not to. The scans can be off over 1lb in either direction. I have growth scans for a “large baby”. She’s measuring in at 29w and 90% when I was only 27w. 

DD1 measured average the whole time and came out at a tiny 7lbs at 42 weeks. She was only 15% for height and weight. She continued that growth and she’s 8! She’s a tiny little thing, but healthy. As long as she comes out and continues to grow at that % or better, she’ll be good.

caseykap

I’ve been struggling with this since 20 weeks - baby measured 21st percentile at 20W, then 14th percentile at 24W, and then 28th percentile at almost 28W. Our doctor was never worried or concerned - just wanted to keep an eye with extra growth U/S. 

I know it’s so scary and so much easier said than done, but remember that if they were actually worried they’d be having you come in every week to check on things and have tests done. When they are this small it doesn’t take much to change the percentile at all (sometimes for us all it took was remastering the femur since they’re constantly moving!). 

Also, I felt really hopeless because he was in my body and I felt like I wasn’t doing enough to keep him healthy (even though size is completely out of our control) - do I started eating more. I’m not sure if that’s actually helped or if he would have gained percentile anyway, but it let me feel like I could do SOMETHING. I’m continuing eating more and will know his size update at 31 week U/S. 

Side note - I had anxiety about this and couldn’t wait the full 4 weeks in between ultrasounds. I talked to my dr and she said 3 weeks is sufficient time to see a growth change. So maybe call your dr and see if you can get in earlier to help your mind?

nolemomma14

It’s definitely hard to worry, but everyone is right, that the measurements can be off in either direction. I had a growth scan today, and watched as the tech measured different things, and even just the slightest adjustment she made by measuring made a huge difference! Hopefully your dr and the next ultrasound can give you some peace of mind  

tsa208

Joining the "don't worry" chorus - the laws of statistics mean that some babies have to be on the smaller side. I've also heard that it's not truly worrisome unless they are in the lower single digits. Even that being said, my neighbor's baby was born at 3% and today, he's a healthy toddler.