worried about DS - femur length

[worrywart4]

Sorry - this is long.

Logic tells me that I am being silly and hormonal, but I just can't help worrying about this.

I am 36 weeks and am nearing the end, but I am seriously worried about my baby. I had a scan a couple of weeks ago and have another growth scan this week.

The thing is that they say that everything is fine, but I have made the mistake of looking at the scan results again and again and cant help notice that there is a massive discrepancy between femur length and everything else. The baby has a big head and abdomen and other measurements (about 3 weeks ahead) but small femur (about 1 week behind). The femur on its own wouldnt worry me, but coupled with the fact that eveything else is big (so the discrepancy is 4 weeks at least), I have convinced myself that there is something wrong.

My nuchal results back at 12 weeks gave me odds of 1:32000 for DS, which I realise is low.

The papers I have been reading (damn the internet) seem largely to be American and I don't think that we really use femur length as a marker for DS in this country?

I stupidly also read something which said that "tongue thrusting" is another marker - and our baby was doing a LOT of that at the scan (and I noticed because I thought it looked weird )

I guess I am worried also because my gran had a downs baby (ie I had an aunt with DS) and the NHS don't seem to factor that in to the risk results, but I have also read (on the NHS website weirdly) that DS can/does run in families.

I know that having a child with DS is not the end of the world, but I'd just like to know - and having not worried about it after the NT results makes it all a bit more frightening now.

I know I am a hormonal mess.

I guess I'd like some reassurance that some of you have had big babies with little legs? I am petit (5'3'') and my DH is 6 foot.

I think you should call your care provider & ask for someone to go through the results in detail with you, just to help you worry less over the next few weeks.

I had a few growth scans with DD1. SHe had a small head, a massive abdomen , off the cahrt at some of the scans, and short femur.

When she was born her head was a little smaller than average, her belly was indeed very large and she did had short legs! She was born out of proportion but within a few weeks she evened out. She is now a perfectley proportioned nine year old.

thanks for your responses ladies.

going - it is good to hear that from you. i know i am being silly; i think it's lack of sleep, hormones and everything else. i have also had 3 MCs before this pregnancy so i think i just find it hard to believe that it might all go as i would want.

any other comments from anyone would be greatly received.

Our DS is measuring exactly the same worry! We just went for scan at 23 weeks, he is 85th centile for head and abdomen, and about 40th for femur. I've been told that as long as they're within the range, all will be well and doc looked at me with a face when I said will he have short legs!

Hope this reassures you :)