Growth scan concerns. Can anyone advise please?

[Kyrptonite]

I have been having regular growth scans as DS was 5lb 4oz. DD was larger at 7lb 2oz.

Scan at 28 weeks showed everything was fine but today's they said was a bit concerning as they said DC3 hadn't grown as much as expected.

I'll put the measurements in case anyone can make sense of it!

28 week scan :
Biparietal diameter 72.0mm
Head circumference 273 mm
Abdominal circumference 243mm
Femur length 53mm
Est feral weight 2lb 12oz

32+6 scan
Biparietal diameter 87mm
Head circumference 320mm
Abdominal circumference 270mm
Femur length 59mm
Est fetal weight 4lb 1oz

The sonographer spoke to the assessment unit who said as I was seeing consultant on Tuesday they didn't need to see me today but I'm really worried. If he's not growing much will I have to have him early? The head circumference seems huge in relation to the femur length which worries me.

If anyone can advise I would be grateful!

At the top of the letter it also says indication: prev iugr. I have no idea what all this means and I'm trying very hard not to google!

First, try not to panic. If growth seems to have slowed they will keep a check on things, but will probably only scan again over a two week period . Has baby's point on the graph slipped down from where it was on centiles at 28wks? If so, where is he/she now?

To try and calm you, I had ds1 scanned regularly from 20 wks because he was 9th centiles with small femurs. He was fine, born full term weighing 6lbs. Now very healthy and leggy 7yo. Dd came next and was 50 th centiles all the way, 8lbs. Ds2 wasn't even on the chart at the 20 week scan, doctors thought my placenta was failing and prognosis was poor, they said the best we could hope for was to get to 28wks and 1600g in order to deliver him into SCBU with hope of a good outcome. He actually ended up staying tiny but following a normal growth curve (albeit below the chart). He was induced at 37wks when fluid dropped and was 4lbs exactly, but perfectly fine. I think maybe I'm not so good at growing boy babies perhaps...maybe you are the same . Re the femurs, if growth is a bit slow, then development will concentrate on the head and brain, the most important bit - and work downwards, femurs can catch up later, the body/pregnancy is an incredible thing.

So, think positively, you have got to 32 weeks already. The approach they will probably take is to scan now to confirm measurements and check dopplers etc. if all fine and healthy they will do same again in two weeks to assess growth. By then you will be 34 weeks so really not far off term (considered to be 37 weeks, when development is complete, rather than 40wks, after the fattening up bit!). If growth really doesn't seem to be happening at all then they will deliver. But usually as long as dopplers are fine and there is somegrowth, they will leave baby alone inside you and monitor you as that is better than being delivered early.

Good luck .

IUGR is intra-uterine growth restriction, usually because placenta stops working as it should (though there can be other medical reasons such as hormonal problems/skeletal dysplasias, which don't sound applicable to your baby).

All placentas deteriorate towards the end of pregnancy but if it starts happening early then they monitor closely because it is hard to predict how fast the deterioration will proceed. At the point where placenta fails and there is no growth happening at all then baby needs to come out.

My T1 has Serve IGUR (I'm 20w) but he has SUA and Oligohydramnios since 9. He barely weighs 7oz. Other than his growth he is healthy, he's kidneys and heart are fine and he's swallowing. My goal is 28w.

Try and calm down, panicking isn't going to help you or the baby. If they're monitoring you then you're in safe hands, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong, it may be a "just in case" scenario. If your worried and upset talk to your midwife/Doctor and ask them to explain in simple terms (no medical gaga) what is going on. You will be told if something is wrong.

Hi, I'm in a sort of similar situation, although first baby. Baby estimated at 4lb 3oz at growth scan I had at 33+3, worked out at 9th percentile. Small femurs too. They didn't want to scan me for another 4 weeks, so bit worried that's too long now! Am 36 weeks tomorrow so next scan is I'm just over a week. Did they say whether baby's growth had slowed following previous scans or was still consistent growth, just small? Mine seems consistent so far...they didn't mention iugr but I guess that is what my second scan is to determine. Do they always induce early if baby is still small? Hopefully your next scan will show all is well OP and as others said, you are getting quite far along now, even if baby has to be delivered.

islingtongirl don't worry, 9th centile is fine . They won't induce early unless there is no growth between latest and last scan or if there are other indications, such as low fluid or poor dopplers (blood flow between mum and baby). If they are leaving 4 weeks between scans I'm sure you have no reason to be concerned. Try to relax and enjoy your last few weeks of pregnancy .

I am exactly the same, at 28 weeks baby was measuring 3 weeks behind. Not sure why.

Have another scan next week at 30 weeks. They can catch up, equally if not, I have been told they will whip the baby out. Trying to get to 34 weeks as by then their lungs are better developed.

I also had steroid injections to help to develop the baby.

It is a very stressful time, it is good that they are monitoring you closely. Best of luck.

Bear in mind the scans aren't always that accurate - when they give you measurements to the millimetre you tend to think they are.

DD's 36 week scan estimated her at somewhere between the 9th and 25th centile. At birth she weighed ten and a half pounds!!!!!

Thanks for your post sleep , am trying not to be to worried - will just see what they say a week on tues at the scan. Got my puffy feet to worry about now (another post!) so taking my mind off it, haha!

Scans are so inaccurate at this point, the only thing that is somewhat accurate is the % of change. No shortage of people who were told their babies would be skinny tiddlers and then they were born quite healthy weights after all. I know it's worrying, but if you look at typical gains from 32-38 weeks then your baby would still be on course for a good birth weight.