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Antenatal tests

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

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Original poster

Should i be worried about my baby's development from this scan photo

30 replies

Clara9123 · 30/04/2022 20:17

Hi. I got a private 16 week scan to find out the gender. It was a very quick scan and i didnt ask any questions. Im now obsessing over the photos due to the hand is this normal? Should i contact my hospital to do a scan and check for abnormalities

Should i be worried about my baby's development from this scan photo

OP posts:

yourestandingonmyneck · 30/04/2022 20:19

I'm no expert but I can't see any issue.

Although it was a gender scan I would imagine that if the sonographer noticed an issue they would tell you.

Try not to worry XxX

Crumpet7 · 30/04/2022 20:36

I’m no expert but I’d understood scan pictures can look distorted. My baby’s face looked a bit strange in one but she was beautiful when born. Could your baby have been waving his or her hands around at the time maybe? Speak to your midwife or the sonographer if you want reassurance though x

Trinxsy · 30/04/2022 20:40

At 16 weeks, baby has no fat yet. My son looked absolutely horrifying as did my twins. One looked like a hammerhead shark
All has been fine at follow up scans. They're still really tiny at that point, don't worry

millytint44 · 30/04/2022 20:46

I'm not sure what you expected. You're not going to see a fully formed cherubic baby on a 16 week scan. I think those 4d ones look awful anyway. I don't understand the craze. Gender reveal party next?

fancyfrogs · 30/04/2022 20:51

At only 16 weeks I wouldn't expect one of these scans to look like a 'normal' baby. Far too early, they're much better to look at late 2nd/early 3rd trimester. Those pictures aren't accurate as the baby moves etc
I had one at 24 weeks and because he may have moved when the took the picture, it looked like he had no fingers at all. He definitely has all his fingers...
don't stress about it x

Tothepoint99 · 30/04/2022 20:51

If you had any idea what a 16 week old foetus looked like in real life, I doubt you'd be asking this question.

UrslaB · 30/04/2022 20:58

3D and 4D scans can be blurry and unreliable before 26weeks, a time when the babies features are more defined and the tissue is denser/more refined. The echoes that make up the image are easily distorted and blur together if your baby is moving while the imaging is being done or if you shifted position or were breathing deeply/rapidly when the image was taken. Also, the new structure of babies features and lower density at these earlier scans (like the one you had) can make the images blurry as the echoes don't bounce very well.

My sister in law paid to have a 4D scan and my nephew's face at 18 weeks looked unformed, like he had a deformity. She worried and panicked until she got another scan where the technician properly explained all of the above and scanned again showing he was fine. Nephew was born perfectly healthy.

Since the technician didn't raise any issues I wouldn't worry. You will be having a 20 week scan soon and this should give you piece of mind if you can't let it go.

polkadotpixie · 30/04/2022 21:07

My baby looked like he had a large hole in him at my 20 week scan! He was born absolutely fine

redheadmary · 30/04/2022 21:23

Baby looks fine

UnderTheMoonlightWeDanced · 30/04/2022 21:37

Please try not to worry. I had the same scan we didn’t get a photo but a “glimpse” and she looked very odd it’s just the imaging and remember they are still developing and have lots of growing to do. I also spent ages obsessing over our 20 week hospital scan convinced she looked like they hadn’t picked up on some stuff by the way the photo looked (and it was very rushed scan which massively exacerbated my anxiety as I knew they were checking her head to toe) she was absolutely fine when born and a cheeky 8 month old now! I was very anxious throughout my pregnancy but as I was told, remember they are trained and see 100s of these scans a week

Fizzyfish · 30/04/2022 21:48

They always look strange in scan pictures!

Nelliephant1 · 30/04/2022 21:54

I honestly think that all the available home and additional private technology really isn't a good thing.

There's people trying to interprate scans themselves and online, doing pregnancy tests the day after possible conception etc, count ups, count downs, it's almost as though the whole magic of conception and birth has disappeared.

Mother nature designed things in a certain way for a reason, it seems like the more options we have for knowledge, the more we drive our self nuts and lose some of the enjoyment of just "being"

Stroopwaffle5000 · 30/04/2022 22:00

Nelliephant1 · 30/04/2022 21:54

I honestly think that all the available home and additional private technology really isn't a good thing.

Mother nature designed things in a certain way for a reason, it seems like the more options we have for knowledge, the more we drive our self nuts and lose some of the enjoyment of just "being"

This!

ReallySpicy · 30/04/2022 22:05

Tothepoint99 · 30/04/2022 20:51

If you had any idea what a 16 week old foetus looked like in real life, I doubt you'd be asking this question.

A 16 week fetus looks like a human baby just very small. Even a 12 week fetusnia clearly a baby just smaller still.

At 12 weeks and definitely at 12 week scans fingers can be seen and counted - so you could definitely see any abnormalities by 16 weeks so if you are concerned speak to your midwife and I hope all is ok x

FelixMadrigal · 30/04/2022 22:14

Looks normal to me, honestly

mynameiscalypso · 30/04/2022 22:17

I have never seen one of those scans that looks anything like a human baby - my perfectly adorable DS looked like nothing on earth in his.

CandyLeBonBon · 30/04/2022 22:18

What exactly is your concern, op?

ijustcouldntthinkofausername · 30/04/2022 22:30

These 4D scans are horrible. I had some done and he looked so weird on it and misshapen but he was absolutely fine OP don't worry ☺️

Hugasauras · 30/04/2022 22:38

DD looked like she was made of melted wax when the technician turned on the 4D. Even when they're nearly full term they look weird on those things, but at 16 weeks they look terrifying.

Remember that the baby is continually moving, so the images often reflect that with things looking stretched.

Tiphaine · 30/04/2022 22:39

I always think 4D scan pictures seem very distorted and like melted candles, it's apparently something to do with the baby moving around so you get the movement included as blurriness in the image. If the sonographer had seen anything that caused them concern surely they'd have told you to get in touch with your midwife?

AndSoFinally · 30/04/2022 22:41

Baby looks fine (although weirdly like the love child of Kevin Bacon and Christian Slater!)

They always look a bit odd on 4D scans. The sonographer would have said something if they had concerns

Fleur405 · 03/05/2022 23:01

The sonographer would have told you if they had spotted anything unusual. You’ll get your anomaly scan at 20 weeks as normal anyway.

Misty12345 · 04/05/2022 20:15

If it makes you feel any better this is my sons scan and his arm looks distorted and curly and he was born with no complications or missing limbs

HotDogKetchup · 04/05/2022 20:21

My baby looked like he had the most enormous nose on a 3d scan. The sonographer even commented on it.

When he was born it was the first thing I asked the midwife (he was taken from me, no skin to skin) and she looked puzzled and told me he had a perfectly proportioned nose. He does. I hope that eases your concerns!

bumpy22 · 04/05/2022 20:24

My daughter looked like she had two antenna sticking out of her head on one of her scans. I can confirm she wasn't born with any 😂😂😂

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