Another anyone else thread.

IBackBevo · March 2014

Has anyone had measurements on an ultrasound come back way off from one another? Especially related to small head size? This little one's head is measuring 4 weeks behind the femur length. Femur are in the 80th, AC in the 62nd and HC in the 12th. In fact, all 3 head measurements were really low. That leads me to believe the possibility of error is lower because the tech had to take 3 separate measurements and all 3 are low.

2nd Question: Anyone had their amniotic fluid high or borderline high?

Ps- Yes, I have talked to my doctor. Doctor expressed some concern especially over amniotic fluid but could not provide an answer. Doctor said maybe the measurements on head were an error but since thinking about it and the 3 separate measurements, I am not convinced that this is a likely scenario.

rainydayluck · March 2014

With DD and this LO the head measurements were always small. Arms and legs measure in the 80-90th percentile and the head is in the less than 2nd. The belly is small too, like 11th. I think that's just how my babies grow. Long legs and small head. I have a small head and DD's head is still small.
I think that answered one of your questions. I was a little confused if you were asking about the repeated measurements all being different.

IBackBevo · March 2014

@rainydayluck - Thanks for responding. We are actually big headed people. I am about in the 75 th percentile for head size and DS is in the 99th even though weight and height are usually 25th or so. DH is about 50th for his height, but he is also pretty tall.

I meant where the range from one measurement to the next in the same ultrasound is so great. As in the femur are at the 80th and head at the 12th and head measuring 4 weeks behind the femurs. It just seems like that is too big of a range. When my son had iugr the abdomen was 4-5 weeks behind the head and that was a BIG deal. But we don't worry when the head is 4 weeks behind the femurs? That seems to me to be more alarming than him being skinny!

IBackBevo · March 2014

@jkanter107‌ - Lagging abdominal circumference is "classic" assymmetrical iugr when overall weight is under the tenth percentile. My DS1 had that. That is common where there are placenta issues, chord issues, pree, high bp, etc.

And having all measurements behind is symmetrical iugr. Symmetrical iugr is more commonly seen in chromosomal issues (e.g. dwarfism) or where the child is just genetically small.

But for just the head to be behind is not iugr. Overall, his weight is in the 60th percentile so he isn't even borderline. Only his head measurements are small. All three were somewhere between 2-4 weeks behind everything else. And we don't have small heads in our family. DS is at the 99th percentile for big heads.

gypsymystic · March 2014

Not sure if this helps or not, but everyone in my family has a big head. When they did measurements for my DS1 he was in the 70th percentile everywhere else and his head was in the 12th percentile just like your LO. I asked the Dr about it and he was not concerned in the slightest. He said they only worry when the head size (percentile) seems to continue to decrease while the body is growing in comparative ultrasounds, or if it falls anywhere under the 5th percentile. He said every baby grows different and is a different size. When DS1 was born he was 8lb 8oz and in the 70th percentile with a head size smaller then the 15th percentile is what they told us. It stayed that way too, when the pediatrician continued to check and she was not concerned. His head doesnt/didn't even appear small. Just smaller then average I guess.

EDIT: They also told me they worry more about heads in the 90s and upper 90th percentile due to a cirtain abnormality but I can't remember what he called it, something to do with fluid in the skull. For small heads all they worry about is if there is room for the baby's brain to grow without being compressed.

rainydayluck · March 2014

If your son is born and his head is really that small, your pedi might send you for an ultrasound of his head to make sure the skull isn't fusing too early. DD had that a month or so after she was born.

IBackBevo · March 2014

Thanks for the input!

I have a follow up ultrasound next week and then an appointment with OB. FX it was an ultrasound error.

I think with the big head they worry about hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). My DS has a head in the 99th percentile, though, and is ok.

vszapp · March 2014

My LOs measurement were out of whack at the last ultrasound at 32 weeks. The MW said not to worry. They go through a growth spurt around that time and sometimes things seem off. She said for that reason they don't like to check growth around that time unless necessary.

kb2bkk · March 2014

No advice on the head size, but with DD1 I had high amniotic fluid. All they did was monitor me extra close. I started NSTs twice a week from 35 weeks until I delivered. I believe the biggest risk was the strain it could have put on DD when my water broke.

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