Small head and front of brain not developing as normal

[Louisajane27]

Hi everyone I'm new to mumsnet and wondered if anyone can help? I'm 31 weeks pregnant with my second and during a routine growth scan for gestational diabetes they noticed my baby's head was very small. I have since had scans with the consultants at the fetal medical unit where they discovered his head is on the 3rd centile with reduced growth and the cavum (front part of the brain) is not normal. I now have a MRI scan next week to give a better diagnosis. All I've been told is it will be hard to tell the full extent of things until he is born! Can anyone help or give any advice? Please

[perfectstorm]

I think you need to call back, and ask for more advice - what the potential concerns are, what the chances are that the baby will be fine. The people best equipped to talk you through it are the fetal medical unit (is that the one at King's, or the private one in London?) as they have access to your scans, and the professional training to interpret them.

I'm really sorry you're having to cope with this, and so hope the outcome is a positive one for you and your baby.

[Louisajane27]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'm being seen by the Wessex fetal medical unit which is based at princess Anne hospital, Southampton. They did talk through everything with me and oh and have given us a detailed report. So far they have discussed the abnormalities with hc and cavum but have said at the moment they can't predict neurological function. This is why they want me to have an MRI for more detailed images before meeting with a paediatric neurologist. They did also mention that they could not rule out microcephaly at this stage. But as the rest of baby is healthy they are happy not admit me and to monitor me with regular scans unless movements decrease. They also said unless the growth becomes worse they are happy for me to go to 38/39 weeks. I hope this makes more sense, should have included it in original post. Thank you for the support.

[perfectstorm]

A friend had to have an MRI for the opposite problem a few months ago - baby's head was very big and growing too fast. (She also had to have an amnio as that can be a predictor of chromosomal abnormality.) Her baby is fine, the MRI was positive, and all is well, but it was a terrifying time. I hope so much your outcome is similarly hopeful.

[starfishmummy]

I am sorry to hear your "news", it must be a very difficult time for you.
Get as much information as you can. Of course there will be things they can see on the scan and use these to make a diagnosis but really "wait and see" is often all you can do.

[MrsRV]

one of my friends had the same thing with added probability of downs or another disorder. She was told there would be severe disability. She went through hell and back during the course of the pregnancy and against all odds beautiful baby girls brain developed & caught up right at the last minute and she was born teeny tiny but is perfectly healthy & all scans have been fine. try to keep positive altho I appreciate it must be so difficult xx

[stickysausages]

I'm so sorry you've had such a shock :(

No advice or experience, but please contact the hospital again, it's not fair to leave you worrying like this.

[Louisajane27]

Hi everyone, thank you for all your help and comments. The hospital called this afternoon to say they have checked my bloods for serious infections that could have caused abnormalities with baby's brain and everything has come back fine. My MRI has also been arranged for Friday and a follow up with the paediatric neurologist a few days later. So hopefully we will get some more answers soon.

[LavenderFox]

Keep your chin up, sometimes things are found on scans and later these findings correct themselves or disappear.

[perfectstorm]

Will keep everything crossed for you over the coming week, OP. Horrible having to wait, but at least the MRI can give you more useful information.

[Louisajane27]

Thank you everyone, trying my best to stay positive but this waiting is driving me mad!

[teasleromani123]

hello...
I had a scan at 24 weeks preg because they said my babies head was very very small....
I went Into labour at 28weeks preg (don't know why)
my baby had to go for a MRI and lots of other test because they said my babies head or brain wasn't growing or babies skull had weaved its self together... a few days later I had a call to go into the hospital to talk to the consultant so I did... the reply we got from all the scans and everything else came up normal and everything was growing but not as fast a it should but they said they have not concerns for my baby her head was growing... so stay positive there is always light at the end of the tunnel .... :)

[stopgap]

I am in a similar boat, in that I too have GD, and my baby's abdominal measurement has gone from fifth centile, to below the second, to 2.6%. I have had scans twice a week since week 30, and all seems well with the doppler, placenta etc. so nothing seems to point to IUGR or anything congenital, but who knows. I am being induced next Tuesday (at 39+5) so it's a bit of a waiting game (and yes, I agree, very stressful).

Hope all goes well for you.

[Louisajane27]

Hi ladies, thank you for your comments.

Teasleromani123 thank you for sharing your story. I'm glad everything is ok now it has also given me hope for all my tests/scans.

Stopgap good luck with your induction won't be long now before you can have a cuddle. I'm glad everything seems fine, all this waiting and testing is stressful, I bet you'll be glad that the waiting/testing will be over soon. X x

[samovar]

I haven't had this particular experience, but we were told our baby had moderate ventriculomegaly (fluid on the brain) at a 29-week scan. We had more scans, an MRI and the option to have an amnio and genetic counselling etc. We refused the latter two (as my down to earth doctor told me I'd potentially cause more harm to the baby through an amnio and better just to wait and see).

I have very mixed feelings about late scans, as for a few weeks, my pregnancy was enormously stressful, and yet when our baby girl was born, the ventriculomegaly had completely disappeared, and she was perfectly healthy (and is now developing completely normally at 20 months).

So I guess what I'm trying to say is try to relax (although i realise that probably comes across as trite), and that babies all develop differently in the womb, and what may seem abnormal may just be within a range of normal.

In the last few weeks after we'd had all the scans, MRI etc, I somehow managed to put it to the back of my mind (helped, i think, by hypnobirthing CDs!) and while I always had a niggling worry that there would be something wrong with our baby, I knew there was nothing I could do until the birth.

Fingers crossed that all goes well for you.

[Louisajane27]

Hi, thank you for your reply. I'm really pleased to hear that everything turned out fine, it gives me hope that everything will be fine for my baby too. We have decided that if they offer us any more tests we are going to refuse, as we didn't want them at the beginning of the pregnancy and still don't want them now.

I'm trying my best to relax. I have found the easiest way to do this is to except that he has devolped a little differently, he may need some extra help and that what will be will be and to just wait and see what happens once he's here.

Thank you again for all your advice and sharing your story, it's really helped.

[furlinedsheepskinjacket]

I refused all tests etc on my dd when i was pregnant 16 years ago. i'm really glad I did as she was born with a v rare but treatable condition affecting her head and I have no idea what the drs would have advised if they had found any indication of this while I was pregnant.
good luck with everything - your wait and see approach is v sensible.

[Louisajane27]

Thank you very much, glad to hear everything is ok now. I have also wondered what doctors would of said if they had known before 30 weeks. I also wonder what would of happened if I had never had the extra scans due to gestational diabetes and been allowed to just see the midwives. I'm strong believer in what will be will be and I am trying to not let all this additional information, stress me or the baby out. Thank you again.

[Tranquilitybaby]

Thinking of you for tomorrow. I hope it goes well x

[Louisajane27]

Thank you, just a quick update. The MRI went well today, I've now got to wait till Wednesday when I meet with the consultant to get the results and have another growth scan to check baby's growth. X

[furlinedsheepskinjacket]

good news x

[perfectstorm]

Glad to hear it went well, and good luck on Wednesday. x

[Louisajane27]

Hi ladies, just a quick update. I had a phone call from the hospital today and the MRI has confirmed that the baby does have abnormalities with his brain. I now need to see a peadatric neurologist aswell as the consultant. So my appointment has been changed from tomorrow to Thursday. Hopefully I will get some answers then. X

[Ilovekittyelise]

so sorry to hear this. i hope its something minor and you get some positive news xxx

[perfectstorm]

I'm sorry to hear that, and I hope you do at least get helpful information when you see the consultant. Thinking of you this week. x

[workingonitagain]

Im sorry you are having to go through all this im sure the waiting is not helping either. You seem like a lovely lady and a fantastic mummy so im sure you are going to do well whatever life throws at you! Lucky little baby to have mummy like you! Xx