Do scan measurements predict eventual adult height?

[ohsooootired]

This may sound silly - but I've come back from my 20wk scan a bit shocked that all the measurements (esp femur length) are below average. They're all still within the normal range, and didn't seem to cause the sonographer any concern, but I'm very tall with very long legs, and I really like being tall; it's a big part of my identity

Partner is quite a lot shorter than me - so of course it wouldn't be hugely surprising if baby wasn't giant.

And I know that all that really counts is that it's healthy - but I've also just found out it's a boy, and have this stupid idea in my head that he may end up shorter than me - which could hardly be great for his self-esteem.

Are these scan measurements correlated to height in later life? - Or am I fretting unnecessarily?

[madwomanintheattic]

scan measurements are notoriously unreliable.

they are an indicator of precisely nothing.

dd1 was measuring huge the entire way through (as dh is a foot taller than me it wasn't unexpected) and in the end the obstetrician told me i had to have an elective cs because they didn't want the responsibility of me going into labour and being unable to deliver the giant within.

she was 8lb 6oz. not the 10lb 13 they had told me she was scanning.

[tinky19]

i'm only 4'10'' and dh is 5'8'' so niether of us are very tall but accordinbg to DS 20 weeks scan he was over the 95th percentile for long femur!! DH gave me lots of stick asking who the real dad was! Hilarious!
Oh, DS is not a giant as I feared he would be.

[Flisspaps]

I don't know about scan measurements, but we were told that the length of a baby at birth has no correlation to the height a child will be when they are older. From that I would imagine there is no link between scan measurements and adult height.

[kiki22]

my niece was tiny when she was born had to wear tiny baby clothes and her feet didn't reach the bottom of her sleepsuits she is now 4.5 and second tallest in her class wearing 5-6 clothes since she was just turned 4.

[MyPod]

They are not very good at predicting the height at birth let alone adult height.

[homeaway]

If i remember it is the height they are when they are two or three that will give a reliable result as to how tall they will be. Small babies does not always mean small adults. DS was only 2.5kg full term and i think 49 or 50 but he is really broad and tall now at 17. Try not to worry about it scan measurements are not always accurate.

[DejaWho]

Husband was always average height growing up... and kept going... and kept going... and going. If you'd have looked at baby or school photos of him he didn't look exceptionally tall or on track to be mahoosively tall - but he turned out that way. He's now the one who gets accosted all the way around Asda by little old ladies who can't reach the top shelves.

Am consoling myself with that thought cos the thought of the size of him and me having to push a mini-him out is somewhat eyewatering.

[ThePetiteMummy]

At one of my scans for dd, her femur length was off the scale! She was born at 6lb 7oz, and is definitely more on the petite side (18m now).

My doctor told me that if you double the height of your child at age 2, this gives an approximate indication of adult height. My mum did this for my sister & I, and it turned out about right.