20 Week Scan - Short Femur

[RainbowL2020]

Hi All,
I was wondering if anyone has had something similar and had their baby's already maybe? 😊
At my 20 week scan everything went fine apart from she mentioned my baby's femur bones were measuring quite small (on the 7th percentile) so I was asked to go back yesterday at 22 weeks for another scan. His legs have grown since last time but now showing around the 5th percentile. This is because 2 different ladies measured him and one got 32mm and the other got 34mm so they went in the middle with 33mm. She said if she had gone with the 34mm then I would be dismissed as it's on the borderline for "average range" but it's just dipped below so's she's referred me to see a consultant for another scan next week.

I had quite heavy bleeding for 3 weeks earlier on in the pregnancy and wondering if this could have any link at all?

Thanks x

Sorry to hear you're going through this. Perhaps copy this into the antenatal tests section where you may get more responses.

I had this, it's a marker for several genetic disorders, the most common ones being various forms of dwarfism, but it's highly unlikely there's actually anything wrong. I had extra scans to track growth and the bones caught up by week 34. I doubt the bleed is related because the conditions the short bones might indicate are genetic so would have been present all along iyswim.

I had my 20'week scan this week and my babies femur was measuring 31mm, but no one said anything about issues with growth? Many results say my babies growth in on par with how far gone I am?
My sonographer said everything was great?!?!?!

@RainbowL2020 How tall are you & your partner? Are either of you slightly shorter? If they were concerned with long bone growth they would have measured the humorous also.
Do you have any further growth scans from 28 weeks onwards? They can check growth again then.

Do you have short legs? With two of mine everyone was very worried as their femur was on a different percentile to everything else. But they just had my crappy short leg genes.

Hi All

Thanks for all your replies!

Lockdownpregnancy don't worry that's within the average range for 20 weeks, I'm 22 weeks and 33mm is slightly under/borderline. If it was 34mm they could of sent me away and not had me back but it's just to be safe I suppose. I'm not too worried as everything else was fine and she did say it was a common thing to see and that my baby might just be on the smaller side.

I'm not small I'm 5'7 and partner is 5'10 but I was only small born (5lb 14). I've seen online about genetic conditions (not good to google) but also about placental insufficiency so that's why I thought it might have something to do with it not quite working properly around those 3 weeks of bleeding. However most of the outcomes I've read about were not caused by genetic problems.

I have seen on other posts that this has happened to others who have gone on to have perfectly fine healthy babies but they were really old posts and just wondered if anyone had been through it more recently (not great going to hospital appointments on your own at this time) 😊 x

Hi OP! I did check my results again and I'm smack in the middle of the 5th to 95th percentile, so all is well, thanks goodness!
My heart just sank for a second when I read your post!
All being well your baby will be perfect! 🥰🥰🥰
Hope all is well at your next check up

Haha yeah I bet! It's such a worry isn't it but in reality it's such a tiny measurement difference that it takes it way off scale for what's "normal" if I was a couple of mm up that would be the end of it but it just opens a can of worms in my head I think!

I'm sure everything is fine and will see where I'm at once the consultant has seen me next week 🥰 enjoy the rest of your pregnancy x

Hi @RainbowL2020 there are quite a few posts regarding short femurs on here because I have been scrolling through them. I am not exactly in the same situation as you, my 20 week scan showed femurs around 30/40 percentile, but I went for my 28 week growth scan (due to low pappa) and my femur length had dropped to around 10th percentile. I questioned this but no one seemed bothered (other than me). You will probably find that they catch up soon but at least it’s been checked again and hopefully it will give you piece of mind 😀

Yes, 1st baby had short femurs and was monitored every month from 20week scan. He is now 14 and as tall as me with great legs . If everything else looks fine then please don’t worry

Hi Missdrifter thank you for that it has, yeah I've been scrolling too! Haha I've read that it can happen at any point along the way so I suppose they just need to keep check on it to make sure he's coming along nicely but all babies grow at different rates and the 10th percentile is totally fine 😊 x

Hi Sleepwhenidie that's great news! Glad he was all fine 😊 I'm sure my boy will catch up too 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

Congratulations ! What a lovely update. Wishing you and your baby boy all the best

Thank you @Delta1 😊 x