Scan at 23 weeks - baby's mouth and lips look a bit strange, is this normal?

[asparagusaddict]

Hello, I'm new to mumsnet, am hoping someone might be able to reassure me...we had an ultrasound scan yesterday (23+3) and the sonographer zoomed in on the baby's face to see the nose and mouth.

she didn't say anything apart from 'look, there's the nose and mouth' so I don't think anything is wrong, it's just his mouth looked a bit strange and drawn back over his gums, like his gums looked really low down -where teeth should be if you were doing a big cheesy smile.

The sonographer said his mouth was closed but it didn't look like that to me. She didn't say anything about cleft palate or anything but that's what it looked most like to me. She gave us a screenshot of the face close up and I keep staring at it trying to figure it out.

Is it normal for baby mouths to look like that? Are their top lips normally really high up and not covering their gums? I wish I had asked at the time but I was a bit confused by what I was looking at as it just looked so strange.

I know I'm probably being totally stupid but it has really unsettled me!

[chocolaterabbit]

you probably alreadyknow this but the scan iusn't a picture, it is more like an xray as DH painstakingly explained to me when I was convinced DD had 8 fingers on one hand I was actually looking at the hand bones.

Have you got your notes? I'm sure the sonographer would have commented if there was a problem or it would have been recorded in your notes.

[chocolaterabbit]

D'oh. meant to say not a photo

[oopsandbabycoconut]

Hi

We had out 20 week scan last week and when they zoomed in on the mouth and nose I though a similar thing and asked so he wizzed his very posh machine into 3d and what I had seen was the outline of her lips the line for the top and bottom of her top lip and the same for the bottom, in 3d it was perfect.

Hope this reassures you.

[sheepgomeep]

It's funny cos my 20 week scan photo is the same regarding the face and mouth.

But like chocolaterabbit said its not really a photo but more of an xray and I'm sure that your sonographer would have said if there was a problem.

This is my 4th dc and they have all looked pretty strange on thier scan photos!

[Northernlurker]

The sonographer will have been checking for cleft palate when they zoomed in. If there was a problem they would certainly have said something. Interpreting ultrasound is very skilled and it can be hard to see what something is when you're not used to it. I'm sure everything is fine - congratulations on your baby

[asparagusaddict]

Thanks everyone, I'm glad it's normal for them to look a bit odd on their scan pics. I wish I'd asked at the time, it must have been good to see in 3D.

I've just looked at it again imagining it as an xray - what I thought were his actual lips must be the jaw bone bit where the teeth fix into and not lips made from flesh at all. I feel better now, and also slightly stupid

[BusyMissIzzy]

It may help to know that what you're looking at is actually a sort of cross-section of the baby, rather than the surface, IYSWIM. Because it's not a 3D image, the sonographer has to focus on a certain 'plane' of the body, and you were actually sort of seeing partially through the baby's mouth, rather than at the outer surface of it. Does that make sense?

[asparagusaddict]

I think I understand now, I am so glad I asked! Thank you. I hardly slept last night worrying about it

[VeronicaCake]

At our 20 week scan the sonographer asked if we wanted to see the face and said we might prefer not to. Apparently, it is very common for people to find the image a bit unnerving because it is slightly alien like. So not stupid for you to worry about it at all.

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

I have some seriously freaky looking 3d scan pictures from when DS was 32 weeks. Believe me he looks nothing like them! In one picture he has no lower arms. In another his face is covered in bumps.

I really wouldnt worry - she would have said something

[Ohwhatacrapmasfear]

My pic at 20 weeks looks like the lovechild of Skeletor The sonographer hadn't been worried or concerned about the scan so I'm hoping all o.k. My baby is due tomorrow (hopefully)so will soon find out what S/He looks like! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy

[Morloth]

Both of my babies at that stage have looked like freaky skulls with gigantic grins at the camera.

As everyone upthread has said if they haven't said it is a problem it is just because of the nature of ultrasound.

[MumNWLondon]

The sonographer is looking out for abnormalities and has seen hundreds of babies in scans and is highly trained in interpreting ultrasound scans. If there was a problem like cleft palate they would definately have said.

You have seen one scan - are you seriously thinking that you could diagnose a problem that the sonographer didn't spot?

[BabyGiraffes]

I have a picture that looks like an alien with hollow eyes... Freaky! Wish they'd just give you a print of a nice profile picture and be done with it . Oh, and I've got a cute picture of a leg, too.

[CuppaTeaJanice]

I specifically asked my sonographer to look for clefts, as I have a cleft lip. However even at the 32 week scan they said the lips were too small to be able to tell for sure, although they looked ok. They couldn't check for cleft palate at all.

He didn't have any clefts though

[BusyMissIzzy]

I got a lovely profile picture at 12 weeks BabyGiraffe, unfortunately the baby has no legs or arms! Just depends on what the sonographer is focussing on.

[BabyGiraffes]

at BusyMissIzzy
My profile picture of dd2 (36wks and counting) shows no arms either and a strange bump on the baby's upper chest... I think the sonographer said that was a foot and to quote her 'they do get themselves into strange positions sometimes...'

[AitchTwoOhOneOh]

we called dd1 our little monkey robot for a while as that's what her 20 week scan looked like. nothing like a baby at all...

[Morloth]

They do look like monkey robots! That is exactly the right description.