Weird results at my anatomy scan?! Worried!

[AprilBaby2025]

am 19+2 today and had my anatomy scan. It will take a few days for the report to be developed and sent to my midwife so I haven't spoken to anyone about it yet. And the tech can't say much.

I am having a girl (which I knew). I had done the NIPT and got low risk. Everything was good at my 12 week scan.

I have access to all of the images she took, with the measurements. The baby is overall average and 50th percentile. However, what concerns me is that the BPD of the head was the 98th percentile (3 measurements taken between 97 and 99th percentiles) and the head circumference was in the 55th percentile. That's a huge discrepancy and so weird!! Everything I saw says that they baby could have a mis-shapen head which is a sign of an abnormality. In addition, the femur length was in the 26th percentile and a huge discrepancy between femur length and BPD often indicates dwarfism. Basically, the BPD is measuring 1 week ahead of the head circumference. The femur length is measuring 2-3 days behind the gestational age.
I am driving myself crazy waiting to hear from the midwife (it will take her a few days to even get the report). And then if I am sent for follow up tests I will just go crazy waiting for results! Anyone else who had similar measurements?

I drove myself mad over discrepancies with AC and HC measurements for most of my pregnancy. Her head was always measuring a week ahead and her abdomen was always measuring 2/3/4 weeks behind. Femur measurements were also behind until they suddenly jumped up at my last ultrasound before I gave birth. I spent hours researching all the awful things it could be. I also thought dwarfism was a possibility based on my measurements. I was convinced I wouldn't be taking a healthy baby home or any baby at all but, here I am, sat with my perfectly proportional, perfectly healthy, two week old baby asleep in my arms.

My advice would be not to worry until a doctor/medical professional tell you to! And even then, I'd take it with a pinch of salt, ultrasound measurements can be pretty inaccurate sometimes. I hope you get some reassurance from your midwife!

If there were concerns with the scan you would have been told at the appointment.

Both of my kids had massive abdomen, 50% centile head and like 10% centile femur. Both absolutely fine and in proportion.
With dwarfism, the look at the shape of the femur also, so you would know if there was a concern.

You'd have been told at the appointment if there were any concerns. The angles of the scan can affect measurements, they're still pretty tiny. Try not to worry and trust the healthcare professionals looking after you will tell you if anything is wrong, you don't need to research it yourself.

I was told at a scan that my sons head was 99% and his legs 0.01% , was told they'd rescan in two weeks and barely slept for those two weeks I was so terrified. At the rescan I was told that everything was normal. Head was a bit big and legs a bit short but nothing concerning. 3 years on he is a perfectly healthy shorty with a slightly big head.

As pp have said, if there were any concerns whatsoever the sonographer would have told you. They don't withhold information and then decide to keep it for a later date. Are you qualified to interpret scan results? If not then I would trust that the sonographer did their job and relax that your scan went well.

At my scans baby's head was consistently 70th centile and femurs 3rd centile. All the way through pregnancy. Myself and partner are very tall. I was absolutely beside myself and remember scouring the internet looking for reassurance. Baby (now toddler) is absolutely perfect with the most adorable head and shorty little legs (despite being 70th centile for height). His height is all in his torso, like my dad. Hugs, I know this is a stressful time.

If there was anything to be concerned about, you would already have been referred. I don't think my midwife even looked at my scans and certainly not in any diagnostic way (as that would be inappropriate)

Pretty sure that if there was an issue you would have been told that you needed follow up at the scan- it's not something the midwife is qualified to deal with. Impossible to say don't worry- but don't worry.

I had an anomalous measurement at my 20 week scan. 2nd centile for stomach and above average (can't remember exactly) for head and femur.
I was immediately sent to clinic to review with a consultant and had follow up scans repeatedly to monitor. Everything with DD was okay but I honestly don't think they'd let you leave the hospital if they were really worried.

Just some more info (may not be relevant), the ultrasound was not at a hospital it was at a clinic specifically for ultrasounds. Although sonographers are great, they aren't allowed to tell me anything diagnostic. The sonographer said the radiologist will write up the report and send it off to the midwife. And that's all she said when I left. Oh and also said baby is measuring very average, some parts are above average so she's "being fed well" lol.

They would still have told you if there was anything concerning, although yes wouldn't confirm any sort of diagnosis. Most NHS scans are done by sonographers. Lots of them work in private practice and the NHS. Did they specifically say there was anything to worry about? If not, you don't need to worry.

I don’t know why they give you this info as without the knowledge of how these results change, they are worrying for parents. I was told my baby was small at one scan. Was perfectly normal weight!

I'm sorry you're worrying about this.
I wouldn't pay any attention to the measurements. They're so often completely wrong.

This brings back memories I’d long forgotten- I too thought my 2nd child would have dwarfism due to her small femur length and large head. It caused me a fair bit of anxiety! However it was all for naught - she was absolutely all in proportion when I met her!

Well I got my official report written by the radiographer back. I haven’t heard from the midwife yet but likely will soon.

Absolutely no fetal abnormalities were seen. Stupid anxiety. Everything about her was perfect.

The baby was in a breech and oblique position though. That wasn’t noted as a problem or anything, it was just stated under “fetal presentation”. Didn’t say that needs follow up, but I know what breech means so I’m worried! I also think she was breech in the 12 week scan.

the only other thing was I have a “borderline” low lying placenta. My placenta is anterior and it’s about 2.5cm from the cervix. They recommend another scan in the third trimester. I am worried as I don’t want a c section!

Position is completely irrelevant at this stage, babies will roll around right up until you give birth. On the whole, the position baby is in at week 36 is the position they will stay in but you’ll be checked for this then. It’s also hard to influence so try not to worry too much!
The placenta may clear further away in between now and then - worry when the time comes.
Also, coming from someone who desperately wanted a ‘normal birth’ but ended up with an emergency section, sections aren’t nearly as bad as I feared, I’d have another if the need arose without much concern.

This does seem to highlight the issues of having private scans which can really only just give you information that a lay person can't (of course!) interpret....

Position is irrelevant at this point. As said previously, you would have been told if there was anything wrong.

They like the placenta to be at least 2cm away from the cervix which yours already is, it will likely move up further as your pregnancy progresses. The additional scan is just a precaution, you don't need to worry.

Have you spoken to your midwife about your anxiety? You really don't need to second guess everything, parenthood will be a very long a tiring road anyway without the additional unnecessary worry such behaviour creates! If there is a problem/reason for concern you will be told. Use your appointments to ask questions if you need additional reassurance and accept what they say is correct.

Not really, the NHS wouldn't have done much different...she was given all the routine measurements and wasn't told anything additional because there wasn't anything to tell...

This.

@SErunner @Not really, the NHS wouldn't have done much different...she was given all the routine measurements and wasn't told anything additional because there wasn't anything to tell..."

In my experience, at a NHS scan she would have been told either that there was nothing to worry about or that further investigations were indicated. And she would certainly have been told that the baby being in a breech position at 19 weeks meant absolutely nothing at all.