Small Baby

[jofeb04]

My best mate is expecint her first baby a week after me!! (its due early October). However, she has been having regular scans for the past week, every other day, and has had the sterioid injections for her babys lungs. She is 32 weeks saturday.
She has been told the babys stomach is small for the dates, and is about the measurements of a 26week baby. She is obviously very concerned. She has to see the consultant on tuesday, who will advise if the baby should be born, or to wait another week etc.
Is there any risk to the baby if he is born now? We know it will be in special care etc.
Thanks

[Hazellnut]

Hi there - I had a similar problem although dd managed to get to 37 weeks before she needed out ! At 32 weeks, the baby has really high chances of being ok (am not sure of the stats but someone else might be able to tell you) and from experience when the doctors say the baby needs out, it is definitely much better out than in. DD stopped growing sometime between 35 and 37 weeks (and had been growing really slowly before that) and was 4 lbs 9 oz at birth. Once born she grew like mad - from below the 0.4 centile at birth to the 7 centile at about 6 weeks. She is now 6 months and has the chubbiest thighs you've ever seen !! My concern was whether size equalled development age and it doesn't. The baby will developmentally 32 weeks, if 26 weeks by size and with the help of the steroid injections for the lungs this should help. The amazing thing about this problem is that all the nutrients get redirected to the brain as the baby knows this is where it is most needed, hence the small tummy.

It was quite a shock to be told I had to deliver early, even at 37 weeks so I guess my best advice to your friend would be to be prepared for this eventuality (and the possibility of a c-section). But try and reassure her that, as I was told by 6 months, she probably won't be able to tell the difference between her baby and babies of a similar age.

Good luck to your friend (and to you !) and let us know how she gets on. HTH.