26 weeks growth scan - small head circumference

[Vicsleighbob]

I've been for a 26 week growth scan today as my eldest was small for dates due to high bp.

The consultant has said this baby is currently on 21st centile and she's not worried but I have to go back in 4 weeks for another growth scan.

Looking at my printout afterwards the baby's measurements are: head circumference 8%, abdominal circumference 61% and femur 21%. Nothing was said to me about these measurements but I'm now panicking a lot about the head circumference being so small. I've literally done nothing but cry. Has anyone else had experience of this? I'm so worried about my baby. It's been a stressful pregnancy anyway due to two previous miscarriages back to back. I feel so scared and upset. I literally can't relax and enjoy this pregnancy and now I'm worried something is really wrong.

If your consultant isnt worried then I wouldnt worry yourself. Have a look at babies measurements from your 20wk scan is all her measurement still following the same line? Baby may have a growth spurt or just be a little baby.

I'm in the same situation but not for head circumference. My babies belly is measuring on the top line and has been since my 20 week scan I had a growth scan at 25 weeks due to measuring 4 weeks ahead and his belly is still bigger than the rest of him but they have said because hes following his own line still they are not worried hes just going to have a chunky belly will be having a follow up scan soon. If it's really worrying you give your midwife a call and ask her about it all and say you are just looking for reassurance x

@Boymummy3 thank you for your reply. Unfortunately I wasn't given any measurements from my 20 week scan (everything is computerised here) so I can't check unfortunately.

Fingers crossed everything goes well for you. I'm sure it will though. My middle DS had a large abdominal measurement comparatively and he was a perfectly healthy baby born at 6lb 5oz.

I feel like a small HC is really worrying though and google keeps throwing up Microcephaly which is really scary 😞

Oh worse thing you can do is google.. easier said than done of course we all do it. Personally I would give your midwife a ring and explain your worries and see what she has to say about it as you dont want to spend the next 4 weeks worrying yourself. Xx

They're following you up so that's good. But growth measurements on scans are notoriously unreliable.

I had them every month with my baby and a couple of times they were concerned about the growth of my baby's abdomen but by the next scan everything was back in order.
Each time the dr said how unreliable they are- but it's kind of all they have to go on.

If they were really concerned they would have spoken to you then about it I'm sure.

@CabbagePatchKids thank you for your reassuring reply.

I managed to speak to one of the midwives at the hospital this afternoon and she was quite reassuring. She said that everything else looks good on my scan so to try she not worry too much. She also told me that as the baby was in a breech position, HC's are notoriously difficult to measure.

I can't do anything now until my next scan in 4 week so I'll just have to keep everything crossed. This has been the most stressful pregnancy ever!!

It's good that you phoned for more information because the information the midwife's now added really changes things. Hopefully you're feeling more reassured!

My daughters baby was breech. They kept saying her HC was over the 100% then they discovered something wrong with the cord. She had loads of scans then had a c section. The baby was perfect nothing wrong at all.

Measurements can be incredibly misleading. I was scanned every two weeks due to taking morphine and pregablin and for weeks they told me she was measuring small. At 36 weeks they decided she had stopped growing, estimated to be a round 4lb and I needed inducing straight away. In the delivery room a team came in, making me incredibly stressed, they said they were there to assist if baby was in difficulty on arrival. My 7lb daughter arrived after a swift half hour labour, the team left as soon as they saw her. So please don't worry yourself, I was so stressed through my pregnancy that I really didn't enjoy the experience.

Not exactly the same but i had to keep having regular scans from 29 weeks due to the baby being small. I cant remember head circumference and stuff but i do remember he was 29cm when he was born and he was 4lb 13oz. He was perfectly healthy just really really small

I had regular 2 week scans and was induced at 37 weeks. They are providing follow up care for you so try not to worry although i know it is hard

If the baby is healthy in every other way then try not to stress

My DS was tiny at first but caught up as soon as he was out, by the time he was 5 months old he was 17lb. My DD ( older ) was born at 7lb 1oz and was 17lb at 10 months

Thank you all. I'm still really worried but trying not to think about it too much now. There's nothing I can do and it wasn't flagged up to me as an issue. I will speak to my consultant in 4 weeks at my next appointment and go from there. I'm just clinging on to the fact that measurements can sometimes be a bit inaccurate 🤞🏼

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Ah!! I thought I'd cropped it! How do I report?

I had a similar experience. I had to have a number of growth scans with DS2 after he dropped from 80th centile at 30 weeks to under 40th centile at week 35. His head circumference had reduced the most. On each subsequent scan the head measurements got smaller, while the abdominal measurement stayed quite large. I totally panicked and asked to see a consultant, as well as talking to a few midwives as well. None of them were remotely bothered by my results. The consultant said they only worry it it’s measuring really small, and that it’s normal for the measurements for AC, FC and HC to be a bit all over the place at the same scan. They also reassured me that the head is really hard to measure, particularly during the later weeks of pregnancy when it starts to engage. DS2 was born a healthy 7 pound 11 at 38+6, with a perfectly normal head! He’s 4 months now, and I couldn’t even get a 3-6 month hat on him the other day as his head was too big!

Aw thank you for your post @Colinthedog

I'm sorry you had such a stressful time but it's great to hear your happy ending! I feel like this pregnancy has aged me 10 years so far!

My report:

@vicsleighbob strange to read your message as I'm in a very similar situation! At my 20 week scan they detected a potential issue. Fortunately at my follow up scan at around 22 weeks it turned out this was a false alarm. However at that scan the head was then below 10th centile (having been nearly 50th at the previous scan!)

I'm also 26 weeks now and have my follow up scan tomorrow morning and I'm so worried about it.

Neither my midwife or the consultant thought it was a big cause for concern. Similar to others on the thread they've said it's normal for measurements to fluctuate and as long as they remain within the ranges it's ok.

I've found myself going down some real rabbit holes though and keep panicking that the head may have grown normally until the 20 week scan and then stopped growing.

It feels like it's been one thing after another with this pregnancy and I just want to relax and enjoy it! Unfortunately though that's not really in my nature at the best of times (hence the username).

Fingers crossed all this worry is for nothing and it works out just fine for both of us

@Worrier167 I'm sorry you're going through this too. It's so scary she stressful. Fingers crossed everything goes well with your scan. I've got another 4 weeks to wait yet. I think I'll probably go crazy before then. I just keep thinking the worst!

@vicsleighbob I can relate, I keep thinking the worst too 4 weeks is a long time to wait, have they said why it needs to be so long? Any chance they could bring it forward a bit? I know they have to leave some time for the baby to grow but the waiting is just horrible isnt it.

@vicsleighbob just thought I'd update in case it gives you some hope! I had my follow up scan and baby has had a growth spurt - the measurement had shot back up to 50th centile. Just goes to show it's true that one measurement doesn't mean much on its own.

My midwife said that even if it had stayed around the 10th though they wouldn't have been worried, as long as you're within the normal ranges then it's just a case of checking that there is still steady growth. I've got another scan at 32 weeks due to low placenta so it'll probably be a different centile again by then just to mix things up!

Good luck for your scan

@Worrier167 thank you for your last post. It's lovely time hear that all is well with your baby and very reassuring! You must be so relieved. I'm trying to keep positive and just keep thinking that the measurements can't always be 100% accurate. I'll update when I've had my next scan.