Short femurs - handhold

[Babyisi]

Hello ladies - i know there are alot of femur posts but all with amazing support and journeys. I was hoping if you have any updates on your LOs💙🙏🏻 as i am currently on the same boat, and have been spiraling with anxiety (first time momma)

Femurs always been measuring on the short side 10-15% but since 24w around 5-1% per ultrasound. During doppler check at 31w embryologist mentioned the short femurs (2.5%) and asked for our hight (5’6/5’9 and both underweight). My gyno suggested i do NIPT just to be on the safe side for Downs (all U/S - NIPT had great low risk results). During 33w ultasound gyno was very positive since nipt came great and femurs are growing & following their own curve ,but i realized femurs are now below 2%.

At that point i asked for skeletal dysplasias & achondroplasia (dr. Google made me do it). She told me that such cases do not have only isolated femur as a marker, that they are far below the growth chart during this weeks and usually do not pass 50mm FL. She said as far as femurs are growing (even at a lower pace) its good. Also, embryologist mentioned overall baby pathology and body parts very good.
She reassure me that they will check up on baby growth more Often now, in case there is placenta issues causing baby growth restrictions, since baby seems overall small (all measurements have been below average since 20w / currently efw 25%) and i myself am pretty underweight.

Still, i cannot stop stressing. All inwant is to enjoy my last weeks of this journey.

Handhold needed 💙🙏🏻 and your feedback in regards to your journey much appreciated 🙏🏻

I had similar 'spiralling anxiety' with my DD. 2 ultrasounds by 2 different sonographers measured her femurs as short (9th centile I think) compared to the rest of her. Was so stressed and worried, but she was born small but perfectly proportioned. She's now 8 and second tallest in her class :-)

Hope that helps a little, the worry is horrible isn't it

My baby had all short long bones compared to his abdomen and head etc which was over the 90th centile and we had all the same worries. They continued growing on the curve, but very small and 2-3 weeks behind the other measurements. Baby was born fine. He's over one now and about 70th centile for height. They think it was probably some kind of assymetrical growth restriction, and I was induced early (for a combination of reasons including reduced movements and gestational diabetes as well). The very scientific paediatric test I was expecting at birth was to see if he could scratch his bottom with his arms 😅 It's a little funny now but it ruined the last couple of months of my pregnancy.

Try not to worry but ask them to keep checking your placenta if they can

So happy for you and LO🌼 thanks for reverting! Literally anxiety not helping at all!

Do you remember the percentile you were on femurs? Thankfully in my case there is no great difference with head/abdomen- or else i would be stressing even more. As baby is measuring in general toward small/low percentiles (nothing above 50th) . I envision myself in the future looking back and saying to myself "there was no need stressing as such" and laughing about it. So glad for you and your LO🙏🏻

Yes at one point it got down to 3%, and the later growth scans were probably about 6%. It was a big discrepancy

At one stage I was told my sons feumers where on the 0.01% line and I was nearly sick with anxiety. Next scan brought that number up to about 5/6 % and he continued to grow on that line. He was born overall on the 6th percentile for height , 2 years on he's now on the 9th percentile but perfectly in proportion, just a short stocky little guy. These scans have a margin of error and while these things are always worth monitoring , I think its rare that they are truly a cause for concern.

And initially I was told his head was 98th percentile. So I was seriously having to consider the possibility of downs syndrome or dwarfism

I can imagine the anxiety- so sorry u went through that. I keep telling my self that i also need to take a step back as most stories i read everything ended up well -especially since there are no other markers that state any other concern. Its hard. So happy for tour LO💙🙏🏻

It's so hard, here to send handhold. At my 20 week scan they told me they'd found an anomaly (different anomaly to short femurs) and I was referred to fetal medicine for more assesment. All turned out ok, but that worry was all consuming, I felt sick with it. The only thing I can say is that it's encouraging what the sonographer said about single markers. They are so so so cautious with the scans, and it sounds like they're looking after you both well by scanning more often. Hoping it all goes well for you x

My DS had 2% femurs from memory, like your baby, he was measuring small from the 20 week scan onwards. At my 20 week scan my uterine artery doppler test was abnormal and I was prescribed daily aspirin. He had restricted growth, born on the 1% but is now perfectly healthy. Like you, I was worried sick though.

My baby had short femurs and disproportionate measurements/ centiles. Was born in proportion and on the 9th centile... he's now 11 months old and on the 100th centile for everything! Xx

I went through the same with my twins. They were 3 and 5 percentile for femurs and I had to have frequent scans from 20 weeks

They're now almost two and besides taking a little longer to walk they're absolutely fine

So happy all is well! Now for you amd LO 🙏🏻 when you say disproportionate you mean for example fl/bpd ratio? So stressful, i wish i could just enjoy

Thank you so much for reverting - so happy all turned well for you and LO i have been worrying so much and trying to take it one step at a time 🙏🏻

Such good news! Thank you for letting me know

Thanks for reverting - do you remember the % your were measured around? Hope all ks going great for u and LO great news 🙏🏻💙

Hi all,
ive just been for my 20 week scan and have femur measurement in 7%. Everything else is 36-50% so seems will be a small baby. I’m only worried because I’m having a boy and my partner is 6’3 (I’m 5’4) it seems weird to me that the baby would be short if his Dad is so tall. There is no overall measurement on the scan. Please share your experience! Thank you

Hi- to the last poster, these scans are an 'art' rather than a science and a baby's size is not an indicator of adult size, so the baby may still be as tall as his dad eventually! My husband is 6 ft 2 and my son's femurs measured below the 5th per centile at one point. My son is now 2.5 years old but is sometimes mistaken for a 3.5-4 year old because he is so tall! Best of luck to you- I am sure that your baby will be perfect!

Hi
thank you so much for your reply. I didn’t have the best experience with the sonographer so wasn’t able to ask the questions I needed to. I called back and spoke to another sonographer who explained everything to me so I feel much better now :)

Hello - promised i will respond to most threads after labour. I had similar issues with short femurs (even below 3%) during last weeks of my pregnancy, even the day before i was induced. I also did amnio to exclude skeletal dysplasias. Thankfully all is well, baby is thriving🙏🏻 was born above average kg and height. But, No doc could 100% tell me all is fine, but were telling me not to worry. I know its easier to say than actually stop stressing over this, but pls dont worry and do whatever will make you feel better. (Ask questions, additional ultrasounds etc). Wish u all the best xx