fluid in skull cavity 20 week scan 9.9mm

[TKKW]

Hi, after a rocky few weeks when I was told 1:55 Downs sydrome, after amniocentesis we were given all clear for everything. Rockiness has returned and i feel really nervy tonight.

Today, had our 20 week scan and one of the things measured is fluid on a ventricular atrium of the brain. Im not really sure what this measurement really represents or what the implications are.

Our baby's measurement was 9.9mm as recorded on the report(checked today when I got home) but the sonographer verbally said it was 9.6mm and it was the upper end of normal but fine. The cut off is 10 mm.

She then seemed as though she was leaving any further discussion on it but I wanted to know more. She said it could vary from day to day and in the past women had been referred to a specialist about this and that day, they got a lower reading.

I am so worried as Im thinking what if the 9.9 or 9.6 is the fluid on a good day and what does this mean? Would it be higher on a bad day and what does that mean/impact?

Im def. going to call the hospital back tomorrow. Feel like crap now.

Does anyone have any experience of this themselves?

anyone? Cant get appointment with Consultant until 4 Jan! thanks, T.

Yes. I went on a mad shopping binge when I got that information and I have a lovely butter dish and pot set that I use every day now......with my perfectly normal little boy.

It can be a sign of a problem, but in most cases I believe it's nothing to worry about. It's more common in boys than girls.

May be completely unrelated, but our little boy does have an unusually large head now. Doesn't look weird, but does need hats a couple of sizes larger than his age!

You'll probably have a pretty stressful 20 remaining weeks. We did.

G'luck!

Curious, I wondered where you were going with your first sentence before the "...." part!!!

Thanks. What was your little boy's measurement at the 20 wk scan if you dont mind?

Yes, defo feeling stressed.

If 10mm is the cut-off then 9.99 is fine

Even 10-15mm is classed as 'mild'.

They have to have cut offs, although it's quite normal to want to be as far away from the cut off as you can.

Yes, i had this. Interestingly also after a high downs risk (1:3) and a clear amnio.

its called ventricularmeglaly i think. Ds was just over the 10.0 i think. They scanned every 4 weeks and it gradually went down.

I was told it could be a marker for learning difficulties, but that as 5% of boys have LDs anyway that we would never know anyway (so why tell me ) ds is 2.6 now and i really don't see any problem with him at all.

Try not to worry, i lost all faith in the lot of them and their 'this could be wrong, that could be wrong, but hey we have no further info so go away and stop worrying!' by the end.

Ds has a big head, both. My kids do, i like to think its their big brains

Thanks any, my first daughter actually had a biggish head, not off the scale but in the upper percentiles whilst she was in 50-55 for everything else! Yes, Im sure our children have big brains!

Thanks for the reply lougle. I know its normal but its too close for comfort.

I spoke to the hospital today as a letter arrived from them this morning. The apoint for 4 Jan is cancelled and I have another scan with a Consultant this time. The screening midwife was business like but also kind. She told me the consultant had already looked at the scan images and was happy with the "normal" result and measurements but was happy to have another scan.

I really didn't expect that. I was not disputing the sonographer's measurement, just wanted to talk more about what it represented. I have had confidence in all the professionals I have met in this pregnancy but its such a load off my mind to actually be able to go in again.

I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks for getting back to me.

Yes, we had 9.8mm and in our trust it was policy to re-scan. if measurements were borderline. I can't remember what the measurements were then, but they were less borderline as I recall.

Like others have said, our dd does have a very large head (98th centile) but has no problems.

I would advise staying away from Google - it is not your friend and you do tend to find the worst-case scenarios, which are exceptionally unlikely given that the measurement is within normal range.

Hi everyone.

Had an extra scan with consultant earlier this week and the fluid on the brain/ ventricular atrium has gone down from 9.9 to 6.7mm. Well within the normal range and now am signed back to midwife care.

Thanks for your comments, helpful and reassuring.