Where has my baby's chin/jaw gone?

[calmMedownplease]

Today I had my anomaly scan and all measurements apparently normal and no concerns raised.

However I can't help feel there is a lack of lower jaw/chin. Especially when compared to the 12 week scan (bottom). Today's at the top.

Am I seeing things? Does anyone else thing this profile is concerning?

Does anyone have a similar scan from a healthy jaw. Or does anyone recognise this from potential syndromes affected by lack of development of lower jaw?

My mind is in over drive!

They would have said if there was anything wrong with the jaw I suspect it's the angle.

It looks to me like the baby's arm is up and so hiding the bottom of the face.

They are taking a snapshot of a moving baby inside you. Think of it as layers of a photo.
There's nothing wrong with your baby's has, it's just not been captured.

Looks like an odd angle of the scan. I don’t think you need to worry

@ErrolTheDragon

It looks to me like the baby's arm is up and so hiding the bottom of the face.

Actually his arm was across his chest for sure as she struggled to get him to move for his heart measurements. So that could be it!

If there was an issue, they'd the you. They have a much better grasp of heat they're looking at than you. You're baby is fine x

@Horehound

They are taking a snapshot of a moving baby inside you. Think of it as layers of a photo. There's nothing wrong with your baby's has, it's just not been captured.

This makes more sense than any worry I've had! Thank you

So you think that people trained to look for anomalies didn’t notice the jaw was missing or deformed?

Baby scans are a bit like a flickering image, if his jaw was missing she'd have said. If this is really worrying you have a look at getting a 3d scan which give images of features etc

Looks fine 👍🏻

@HoppingPavlova

So you think that people trained to look for anomalies didn’t notice the jaw was missing or deformed?

So you think people who irrationally worry because of pregnancy anxiety need a smart ass to comment on their post?

There is literally a disclaimer on the scan report which says whilst check have been made this doesn't guarantee no abnormalities.

I think it's a proven fact things can and are missed albeit not often.

Thanks for those who have offered a reasonable and reassuring explanation!

Please remember to be kind on these forums.

Also to add today's sonographer hasn't ever seen the 12 week scan, so to me as an image there is a clear difference, even if nothing appears wrong in today's scan, I'm sure I can be forgiven for raising the question.

@calmMedownplease I had the EXACT same worry when I was pregnant 3 years ago!!! He was the same on every scan. Pointed it out to my sister and she said babies always look like that in ultrasound scans.

She was right - he was born with a very normal sized chin.

I think because their cheeks are so chubby their chin looks smaller but it’s totally normal

Part of the anomaly scan is looking at the lips to check for cleft lip. The sonography would definitely have noticed if your baby was missing its whole jaw!

Things can be missed OP but it’s incredibly unlikely that a sonographer wouldnt spot a missing or malformed lower jaw. As Justchecking says, cleft lips and palates are checked for. An absent lower jaw would be very noticeable and a very small jaw (micrognathia) is also very noticeable. Scan photos can look all sorts of weird depending on what the baby is doing at the time. Could you tell your midwife that this is worrying you so they can talk it through with you and put your mind at rest?

I think it's easy to be misinterpreted because of what we see on TV and in films. The perfect image of perfect baby.
It just doesn't always happen like that in real life and when you think about it, it's amazing to get a photo of our baby at all!

Don't worry op, all will be well x

I seemed to be carrying a chinless baby in one of my scans but, I'm pleased to say, he was born with a perfectly normal chin!

I had exact same worry about DS after my 20 week scan. I wasn’t worried about deformity as I figured they’d have said that, more that he would just be one of those people with a weak chin (yes, I know it’s a shallow thing to worry about). Anyway, he was born with a perfectly normal chin and he’s 10 now and ridiculously handsome, which isn’t bias at all

That image doesn’t show the head in profile so you are not comparing like with like. Trust me, they would notice a missing jaw!

My son had the missing chin and jaw look in some of his scan photos, but he definitely had a chin and jaw when he was born.

It's just the way they capture the photo. Plus they definitely would have spotted a problem during the scan if there had been an issue.

There is literally a disclaimer on the scan report which says whilst check have been made this doesn't guarantee no abnormalities. I think it's a proven fact things can and are missed albeit not often.

Yes, and correctly so as some defects won’t even be visible on scans or some not visible even with current scanning technology. That, however is different to a foetus essentially missing a major part of its face. That’s not what they are referring to at all with that disclaimer. Also, they are examining closely for clefts at that scan so to think they could miss a ‘missing jaw’ is just not realistic. I’m not giving you a smart arse comment, I’m giving you common sense.

Looks like arm across face to me.

Hello!
With my sons scan it looked like his leg was facing the wrong way round! I panicked so much I mentioned it to the midwife later on. She was quite a harsh lady and just laughed. She said they aren't like photographs and can be highly distorted.
Please to say my sons legs were pointing in the right direction! :)