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Baby's Growth Ultrasound showed short femers...

omdela01omdela01 member
in Special Needs

We had our growth ultrasound a few weeks ago and the femers measured in the 3rd percentile. While the doctors didn't show much concern since everything else measured 50th or above. We can't help but be concerned. We made the mistake of Googling it and there was nothing positive to say. 

 Has this happened to anyone else/ was your baby healthy when born?  

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Re: Baby's Growth Ultrasound showed short femers...

  • mollybloommollybloom member

    Yes. At DD's 20 week A/S, she had 5 soft markers:

    1) fat nuchal fold

    2) wide set eyes

    3) 3 heart chambers

    4) shriveled kidneys

    5) short long bones, aka short femurs.

    Each of these is a possible marker for the trisomys and a slew of other syndromes. Just one marker is usually not cause for concern. It is when 3 or more present themselves that the worry starts.

    Since that is the only marker, I would try not to worry too much about.  I know that is easier said than done, but the odds are really in your favor. Stay away form Dr. Google, it will keep you up at night.

    With DD, our high-risk doc told us that he didn't have firsthand knowledge of 5 soft markers turning out okay, but he said that he was "sure that it has happened to someone". Not very encouraging.

    DH and I opted to get an amnio with the 24 hour FISH results. We opted against getting a micro-array, as there is a 25% answer of "unknown genetic defect". I don't deal well with the word unknown. We just decided to go with the 98% of known genetic issues that the amnio tests for and if DD had of the 2% that the amnio didn't test for, we would deal with it when she was born.

    And she came out loud, screaming, large, pink, and was the most perfect thing I had ever seen. And she was fine. Her short femurs, like the other 4 soft markers, are no longer a cause for concern. She went from 3rd percentile in utero to 60% in height at 11 months.

    She did have gross motor issues that presented later, but that was due to Congential  Torticollis brought on by her high birth weight and my very small torso.

    I sometimes hate to relay this story because I have a good friend that was almost lock-step with me with the genetic testing (her son displayed 3 soft markers) and she wound up on the worng end of the odds. But, you can't live in worry. The doc isn't even recommending an amnio, try to put the worry aside. Short femurs is not a a hard marker, and it is not even a serious soft marker.

    If you find that you can't stop the worry, call your doc and speak with him/her about it. Perhaps they can schedule another u/s to ease some of your worrying. Please feel free to pm me if you have any other questions or you just want to vent. I rarely post on here, but I check in a few times a day on the Parenting board, so you can page me over there.

    I know it is scary ((hugs))

    -Marissa

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  • st.augbridest.augbride member
    We came back high risk for down syndrome on the serum screen and when we went for the level 2 u/s they found short femurs. After a week of debate (and self-imposed torture) we opted for the amnio. The results came out all clear, and ultimately ds had placental-induced IUGR which is what caused everything we saw. His abdomen was alos less than 3rd percentile, though his head measured on target.
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  • goldenleavesgoldenleaves member
    Lauren had shortened femurs with a bunch of other markers. We don't feel like we ended up on the wrong side of the odds at all. Yes, she has Down syndrome but now she's healthy and life is normal! Good luck!
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  • mollybloommollybloom member

    imagegoldenleaves:
    Lauren had shortened femurs with a bunch of other markers. We don't feel like we ended up on the wrong side of the odds at all. Yes, she has Down syndrome but now she's healthy and life is normal! Good luck!

    Sorry for the "wrong side of the odds" comment. My friend that I was writing about, her son wasn't suspected of having Down Syndrome. I wrote about him because he had 3 soft markers. I said wrong side of the odds because her son passed away at 2 months of age.

     

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  • sophieb29sophieb29

    Our baby's arms and legs also measured in the 3rd percentile at our growth scan.  We did the amnio, the microarray and a skeletal dysplasia panel.  Everything came back fine.  I've been going in for regular growth scans every 3-4 weeks, and he is growing steadily, with his arms and legs still about 2 weeks behind.  The doctors say he'll probably just be short.  No surprise there.  I'm 5'4 and my husband is 5'6. 

     

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