''Short'' Femur on 20 week scan, being referred to a consultant :-(

[AmyL88]

Hi Ladies,

I am after some hand holding/experience please.

Had our 20 week scan yesterday, all fine apart from baby girl has ''short'' femur bones. Basically they were measured at 28.1 mm so 2 weeks behind and on the 3rd centile. All other measurements are also under the 50th so looking like a small baby compared to my first boy who was 95th centile all the way through then born at 38 weeks 8lb 10.

I am waiting to hear back from the Consultant and the follow up scan/appt but the Sonographer mentioned being tested further(was all a bit of a blur)

I couldn't help but google and although not all negative there are some scary stories! I am so upset by this, I went into the scan not ever expecting anything to be wrong :-( I also have an anterior placenta and bmi of 27 so the scan wasn't the clearest not to mention baby was facing down so she couldn't get a clear image of the heart valves?! I am worried sick!

I guess it's difficult to know what to think until you have seen the consultant but if it's just a question of both femurs developing normally but being short, she may just not be very big?!?

I was born with proximal focal femoral deficiency which meant my left femur didn't grow properly at all - but if both femurs are developing at same rate I really hope there is nothing to worry about, but I am sure consultant will have some better information. It's really hard waiting I know.

I'm 38 weeks and have been told femur length measurements of 3%, 8%, 14% and finally last week 41%. I was told to take it with a pinch of salt as its not 100% accurate and its a matter of millimetres between babies.
If everything else is normal it is not a risk factor on its own.

Thanks @HidingFromMyKids and @Spero that's reassuring. I guess I will have to keep positive and see what the follow up scans show.

Don't panic, I had the exact same thing they said babies femur was too short for their 'charts' so for the last 6 weeks have had growth scans and went to see a consultant. When the consultant see me she said there's nothing wrong it's more than likely the fact that me and baby's dad aren't exactly tall either. I had another growth scan the other day and the femur has now caught up with everything else. The consultant also said to me even if the femur is shorter doesn't mean your baby will come out with tiny legs and a big body! In your case the baby still has a lot of growing to do honestly don't worry

My little ones femur is in the 10th centile, and growing much slower than her tummy and head. Our sonographers and my midwife just say its because my partner and I are pretty short. Hope everything is OK sweetheart xxxx

Thanks all, I am 5ft 4 so not exactly a gazelle! Just have to hope for the best and keep positive!

@AmyL88 I'm 5'4" too!

Just thought I'd also mention that while everything else has grown a few cm since my last scan, her wee legs have only grown 1.3cm so I think as long as the average is still staying in a similar centile then you'll be fine. Mines went from the 45th centile average to between 10th and 50th (it looks about the 30th) and the noone seems at all concerned with mines, so it could be your doc is being over cautious too xxxx

@Marshmallow91 Thanks for the reassurance. The sonographer who referred me to the consultant did say she often wonders if we put unnecessary stress on the parents when referring for things like this....I do hope that's the case! How many weeks are you now? x

@AmyL88 No problem sweetheart - I'm just over 33 weeks now. Due another scan on Jan 28th when I'm 36 weeks. Xxx

Hi Amy do you have any more updates.

I also had my scan at 19weeks 4days femur was measuring 28.1mm so I'm abit worried aswell they booked me in for a growth scan so I have 1 week left to find out how the baby is growing

@AmyL88 @LEL01321 hi I'm going through the same thing now do you have any updates? X

@RainbowL2020 I just saw this thread. I had the same problem. 28 weeks and midwife noticed in my notes femur was measuring small. I cant remember what %. But it was way smaller. She told me to go hospital straight away.

They did scan and found something wrong with the placenta. I started googling and worrying etc.

They did another scan and then said placenta seems much better ( working)

They then did another scan and it showed baby wasn't growing. Consultants didn't mention anything it was midwife who pointed it out.

I wasn't feeling much movement. Days where I didn't feel anything and went hospital. I got induced at 36+6 days and my baby was born perfect. All in porportion.

Hi @Yorkiee thanks for your response! That’s great to hear, I do feel a lot better after reading so many positive stories regarding this issue 😊 I’m currently 28 weeks and back at 30 weeks for another scan for long bones growth check, they are growing but not as fast as the head and abdomen which seem to be average but his arms and legs are down at the 3rd % but hopefully just going to be a small boy x

@RainbowL2020 try not to worry too much. I was worried sick but all came out fine x

Let us know how your scan goes!

Thank you I know trying not to get carried away! I will do 😊 x

Out of curiosity, what’s a “normal” femur length at 20 weeks. Mine was 28.9mm, but they didn’t mention anything - but I’ve had a lot of missed things at scans/blood tests so worry that something like this has been missed.

Hi that measurement at 20 weeks puts you around the 5th percentile according to the charts but can vary on who takes the images x

Like others have said, there can be huge variation at this stage and everyone I know who has been referred to a consultant 'to be on the safe side' has been absolutely perfect. Plus, femurs are so tiny anyway that any slightest variation in development or mismeasurement from the sonographer can throw the measurements. I think hospitals tend towards caution in pregnancy and that's a good thing. Thinking of you.

Ours was also measuring on the smaller side at our scan. Out of interest, I put his measurements into a fetal femur calculator (is there anything you can't find online!) for the previous week, since the estimated due date we were given is 9 days ahead of my last menstrual period and I've always suspected it was off by about a week. Ours came out pretty much exactly average. Goes to show how much crazy variation in 'normal' there is even on a week-to-week basis that even a slightly inaccurate due date can swing things so dramatically.

There’s still a slight margin of error in ultrasounds. They always ask you to come back the following week for another scan if they can’t get certain images due to baby’s position. I believe it’s a marker they flagged and to be monitored. Best wishes!

Thanks everyone yeah hopefully there is still some time for him to catch up and the measurements are literally a case of mm difference, if his arms and legs had measured a few mm more it would be boosting him into the “normal” range just so bloody worrying when they have to tell you all this isn’t it xx

Hi all just to update I've been for my 30 weeks growth scan today and they said that he's still measuring between the 3/5th percentiles for his long bones (so they are measuring around 27 weeks) but he has followed his growth curve since last time. She said the plots on his chart would of had to of dropped a lot lower for them to be concerned and he is now estimated around 3lb so I'm happy with that 🥰 back in 2 weeks for another scan and then probably only one more after that to discuss delivery 🤭 hope everyone's else is doing ok! X @Yorkiee

@RainbowL2020 aww thats nice to hear!! Thank you for updating us. All will be well. Keep thinking positive! x

Thanks @Yorkiee ! I feel a lot better after today thanks. I want to try and remember to keep updating for anyone else worrying because I've been overthinking so much the past 2 weeks searching for answers, not good! X

@RainbowL2020 I was like that.. searching and searching. Back then I didn't even understand what percentil was.. only got it when I got the red book. 😫