Short long bones on scan - femur and humerus measuring very short

[MacFairy]

Does anyone have an experience with short femur and humerus to share please? At our 19 weeks scan femur and humerus were 2 weeks behind. Nothing to worry said the doctor, it's normal to have this at any point in pregnancy. He wanted to check growth though and we had another scan at 22 weeks and 25 weeks and long bones were still short, by 3 weeks this time, just under the 3rd centile both times. He said we need to monitor this and to go back again for another scan in 3 weeks. I am so stressed after reading what it could mean. Anyone who had this what was the outcome please?

This is like DC2. Those measurements then brought down the estimated fetal weight and I was induced at 38 weeks with a predicted 5-5.5 pound baby.

DC2 arrived at an average weight and yeah ok, their legs are still a bit on the shorter side but nothing of any concern whatsoever.

I know it's natural to worry, I was exactly the same, but remember just a few mm make a centile change. DC2 (and DC1 for that matter) are on the 9th-ish for height which as I'm 5'4" is pretty normal.

thanks very much for your reply WhatWouldDarylDixonDo. Were femurs behind that many weeks too? Did they give you any explanation/asked you to have more tests done to rule our chromosomal issues? I'm so worried I can't sleep or eat, it's been killing me...

I'm going through same thing with one of my twins. Am 30 weeks now due another growth scan on Tuesday. Short femur mainly, been consistently shorter since 18 weeks, just below 3rd centile and 2 weeks behind his twin sister. He also has bilateral talipes aka clubfoot. I originally had NIPT at 13 weeks due to initial increased NT and it came back very low risk. I just had a third trimester amnio last week and rapid results were all normal. Waiting for full set of karyotypes now. Have been told from beginning by fetal medicine consultant that it could indicate a more unusual chromosome/genetic abnormality but could also be nothing and due to my dads side of the family all being short arses, my dad grandad and brother all short. And my dad's sisters aren't even 5ft. So I can't give you the outcome yet but just wanted you to know I know how you are feeling.

I've read that as long as the baby maintains a growth rate (his own growth line on the chart) it should be OK, so your baby sounds like he's growing OK, just on the low centile?
In my case growth seems to be slowing down unfortunately, I don't know if baby is s going to have a growth spurt and go up again on the chart.

It's so reassuring though that you got the amnio done, this will give you all the peace you need to go through the rest of your pregnancy. I feel like till the last second I'm going to worry sick...

His legs dropped centiles from the 12 to 20 week scan. They then grew at a slightly slower rate to the rest of him.

None of the HCP mentioned any concern but I had several growth scans especially from 30ish weeks.

No further tests were done as had the standard ones and blood tests already.

WhatWouldDaryIDIxonDo what centiles was he, can you remember? Did the doctor notice his femurs being short early in pregnancy or later on?
Mine at 25 weeks are well below the 3rd so completely off the chart. Not even touching the line any more :(

Hi, I no this is few years ago but I'm going through this now. What was your outcome please? X

Hi I'm going through this too, please could anyone update on their experience thank you x @newmommababy @MacFairy

Hello @rainbowl2020 what gave you been told?

We ended up having a real tough journey during the pregnancy. We were told so many different diagnosis as the femur length kept measuring short. At 32 weeks it was 5-6 weeks short. However I can reassure you that we had a very healthy baby, just a short one!!!!

@MacFairy thanks so much for coming back to me after all this time! Really appreciate it and I'm so glad your little one tuned out healthy and well 😊.. at my 20 week scan everything was fine apart from femurs on 7th percentile so was asked back at 22 weeks which then showed the 5th, then 23 weeks with the consultant which showed 9th then 28 weeks which showed a a drop right off the line and below the chart to below the 3rd so I was given all possibility's as I didn't have the 12 weeks screening either but they written on my notes "more likely small baby/placental issues less likely chromosome/genetic issues" so back again last week at 30 weeks and short long bones measuring at 27 weeks but they've said that they are still on or just below the 3rd centimetres growth curve so not concerned this scan and back in 2 weeks. I've been googling and online endlessly as you can imagine. I did have heavy bleeding from 12-15 weeks which they still don't really know what it was but I'm thinking was it to do with my placenta and has it delayed it growth at that stage maybe? Don't know what to think x

I went through similar measurements (although at 30 weeks femur was well behind, about 4 weeks at that point).
Have they found any other signs?
If not you are probably going through the same with us. We were given so many unconfirmed diagnosis, we had lost our minds with worry. We started with achondroplasia and it went downhill from there.
I can't even describe the nights I spent crying and googling medical reports and findings from every single research there has been done.
At 28 weeks we were offered an amnio but we declined. I thought the risk was too high, although I was desperate to find out what was going on.
Long story short - if there are NO other findings, then I wouldn't worry too much.
I suspect your bleeding at 12-15 weeks was a placenta abruption and from the blood loss that you had the growth of the baby has been delayed slightly.
In our case we just had a short baby, as I am quite short and my family in general are.
When our baby was born we had all the tests done, it took 3 long months to find out that absolutely everything was normal. It's a short child, even now at 3 years we still use 2 year old clothes but absolutely normal! We say the geneticists again as well as orthopaedics consultant and they all agree that everything looks normal.
All was for nothing, but let me tell you that made me be so grateful for all the help I got here, so many similar stories gave me strength and hope when I was losing it! That's why I wanted to reassure you!

Thank you so much @MacFairy I've been the same constantly glued to my phone and not sleeping properly through worry and reading every study I can find along with other peoples stories to give me some reassurance but your situation sounds very similar to mine and I'm so glad you replied! No other markers at all have been seen, she said that although bones are
Measuring small they are bright white with good minerals and very straight thank god and head and abdomen always been floating around the average middle mark. It's just his arms and legs that have been consistently small but looking back through my notes the crown to rump length at 12 weeks was 45% then dropped to 11% 2 weeks later after my bleed.. so I've googled the life out of placental abruptions and subchorionic heamatomas too trying to find a link! As you say I thought surely all the blood and nutrients I lost should of been going to him at the stage when his limbs where starting to properly develop? 😩 small baby's do run in my family too 4 & 5lb babies and I was one of them however I am 5ft 6 and partner about 5 ft 9/10 but we have the same leg size (I've gone through all this side of it too) .. did your short long bones just keep decreasing until you gave birth? They mentioned before possibly inducing me early because the EFW was on the low side because of his bone size, current weight at 3lb 16th percentile. Really appreciate all your info on this! X

Hi all just wanted to update! After all the worrying my baby boy was born 19th July at 31w + 4 because I had a placental abruption. Turns out my placenta was never working as it should of been (even though every scan it was checked and always said to be fine) so my boys arms and legs measured small on their charts but absolutely healthy just small at 3lb 4! He's in NICU at the moment which is emotionally really tough but he's doing really well and progressing as he should. I am just so thankful that we were in the right place at the right time and my gorgeous boy is safe and well 💙 x

@RainbowL2020 congratulations, glad to hear he is well and is in good hands.

Thank you @interest12

@RainbowL2020 How is your son now? I am in the same boat as you were in so curious how things went / are progressing...

Hi @RomRoRo he's doing really well thank you he's nearly 9 months old and because he was born early he's delayed with his milestones but all in all no concerns and he had a big growth spurt and shot up on the percentile chart now for height. He'll be in 12-18m clothes shortly! .. I'm sure your little one will be fine too I wish I hadn't worried so much x