My actual measurements are: I would call your doctor and ask for another ultrasound. It says my placenta is posteiror, low lying. Messages: 2. Thanks. I don't know if I got level II or not. They confirmed that her head was small, so they sent me to a high risk dr. That dr. said the same thing, that she was in the 3rd percentile. Has anyone else experienced this before? Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! ac: 263.1mm ga: 30w 3d What things can cause a baby's small head? iam in similar situation , how things turn out ? If you had your u/s at your OB's office most likely it was not a Level II. Hope this helps. The estimated age based on her head size is just 25 weeks while the rest is between 28-30 weeks. she was devastated for the whole pregnancy but knew she'd love the baby no matter what. This literally means 'small head' and can be associated with learning difficulties. An ultrasound examination shows a normal biparietal diameter and head circumference, although the abdominal circumference is 24.5 cm, which is at the 2.5th percentile. The outcome was worse when the HC was smaller. I was told she has a small head but nothing that they should worry about. If bleeding occurs that leaks into the fluid spaces (ventricles) inside and around your babys brain, it is called an intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH). Big heads and little heads tend to run in families. I'm sitting in my doctors office right now waiting to talk to the doctor and check for dilation. My oh didn't know at that point so we couldn't say. Babies that are smaller and less mature are more at risk. Congratulations on your perfectly healthy little pink bundle .I'm thrilled everything worked out so well. The tech and Doctor stated the baby appears to have a "small head". She asked about history of small heads in the family. It's more about baby being consistent in growth. Happy to hear your baby is doing okay! 32 weeks 5 days scan, foetus ga is as follows; Emerging Role of Zika Virus in Adverse Fetal and Neonatal Outcomes. Most likely no problem! By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies. Just try enjoy your pregnancy and time will tell. Your baby measuring small for your dates means that your baby's size is a little smaller than what's considered average for the stage of your pregnancy. Katie, scans are hugely inaccurate my dd was almost 3lbs bigger than her estimated weight and maybe your baby is just not going to be a big person, some people are very petite naturally. I don't know what DD's percentiles were at her ultrasound but at birth her head was 90%+ but her height was less than 5% and she is just fine. Head ultrasound scans on babies in the Neonatal Critical Care Unit. Please, don't tell me any bad stories. The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Try to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. Get weekly updates on baby and your body. Mumsnet carries some affiliate marketing links, so if you buy something through our posts, we may get a small share of the sale (more details here). 2016 Jul;29(3):659-94. doi: 10.1128/CMR.00014-16. Seems ironic in a way .I'm really struggling to stay positive and am having sleepless nights. Best of luck . She asked about history of small heads in the family. Likes Received: 0. But iam in a similar situation wondering what was your outcome . I hope your lo has arrived safely. His head has continued 2 measure small all thru his growth. He's perfectly normal, and his stats have stayed the same as he's grown up. If doctor didn't seem immediately concerned then you shouldn't be either. Additionally, all babies (regardless of birthweight or age) needing to be on a breathing machine (ventilator) for more than 48 hours will receive one scan in the first week. Now I'm super worried. My (almost) 9lb baby was in the 90th percentile for height and weight, and in the 30-ish percentile for headsize until he was about a month old. Her proportion percentile was non existent on the chart (fell off). And in the end, it might make delivery a tiny bit easier ^ yeah, it kind of sounds like if he just made an off-hand comment without acting concerned, he was trying to make you feel better about possibly an easy delivery, not trying to tell you baby has microcephaly or something. So if the baby was laying against the uterus wall or placenta the head will hangs shape and measurement will be off. Then consultant looked cover scan results and said all seems OK but when I asked about the BPD score, she then said, well let's bring you back in 4 wks and we'll look at it again. Maybe your donor is very petite? The baby's head was measuring largeabove the 95th percentile for her gestational age. The measurements provided are Head circumference of less than 5th percentile for postnatal age of index patient. A head ultrasound is a scan through baby's fontanelle (soft spot in baby's skull) to examine the structures of the brain. Video chat with a U.S. board-certified doctor 24/7 in less than one minute for common issues such as: colds and coughs, stomach symptoms, bladder infections, rashes, and more. Im so worried Ive done something wrong. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. 0:00 / 10:50 Intro 20 WEEK ANATOMY SCAN UNEXPECTED NEWS, FIRST BABY, BABY MEASURING SMALL, BABY'S BRAIN CONCERNS The Homemakin' Mama 2.84K subscribers Subscribe 4.9K views 2 years ago. Stephanie. Call your OB and ask if there is any reason for concern. Epub 2021 Aug 12. I have no idea what that means so I resorted to google and I am scared out of my mind. age: 32w 0d Thanks. Hopefully she will measure differently when we go back for another. eCollection 2020 May. gest. We're going to scan again in a couple of weeks in the hopes of getting a more accurate measurement. Try not to worry.especially if your doctor doesn't seem concerned. And I googled microcephaly - don't do it. Why does my baby need a head ultrasound scan? The doctor didn't seemed phased at all, and wrote "normal growth" on my chart but requested a follow up scan at 38 weeks. Small heads run in their family. The .gov means its official. Im quite small boned, as is my husband but hes 6ft. This can be very normal. It was 34cm and normal range is 34-36cm. Jump in the fray! And baby still growing is great! Some ultrasound results make the risk higher, and other results dont affect the risk much. Please note, we cannot prescribe controlled substances, diet pills, antipsychotics, or other abusable medications. Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies It is safe and similar to an ultrasound that mothers have during pregnancy; it does not expose your baby to any radiation. Katie how are you and your little baby doing?? Are there any additional tests that can be done to tell me if baby is normal? Try not to worry too much as nowadays they can do so much. Of course a quick google search says that the virus I contracted can cause this. I went to my regular doc and he said from what he can see the babies head is so low they wouldn't be able to get a good measurement and he isn't extremely concerned. Fetal ultrasound show small head circumference and also small stomach? Learn how we can help 4.4k views Reviewed >2 years ago Thank Dr. So I have had u/s every 4 weeks to monitor growth. Nothing to worry about at. Because her average growth rate is at 4.8% I will be induced between 37-38 weeks. With bleeding grade 2 or higher, there is some risk that the blood will block up the normal flow of fluid around the brain and this can lead to a build-up of fluid. Outcome and neurological development was normal in 467 cases, based on neonatal examination and/or parent or general practitioner reports. Obviously, it wouldn't as we are due this baby in a few weeks. Is this your first growth scan, or can they compare the rate of growth and see if it's on a good trajectory compared to other body parts? My family are more 7-9 lbs. So back we went and I got a fright to see the consultant was doing the repeat scan as opposed to the sonographer and the result was the same but baby growing and nothing else showing up. 1997-2023 BabyCenter, LLC, a Ziff Davis company. IUGR is usually diagnosed after an ultrasound shows your baby's weight is below the 10 th percentile based on how many weeks pregnant you are. PVL is uncommon and usually doesnt show up until the head ultrasound scan at 28 days of age or later PVL is described depending on how much of the brain is involved and whether it affects one side of the brain or both. I had a 36 week growth scan on Tuesday and they said my little man was in fact "little" and his head circumference is in the 10th percentile while the other measurements were all around the 50th. I'm just hoping that head is smaller be cause baby is Petit. Occasionally, a baby will have visual deficits (blindness) or hearing problems, but these are fairly uncommon. At my 20 week u/s, my LO was measuring small, so I had another u/s 4 weeks later. iam so worried. Skeletal dysplasia. So maybe it is normal for me, but they dont know and that doesnt make me worry any less. For potential or actual medical emergencies, immediately call 911 or your local emergency service. For these, please consult a doctor (virtually or in person). We have the growth scans at 30 and 36 weeks to keep an eye on it, but try not to panic x, Definetly if small babies are the norm for you I'd try not to worry. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008747. Enjoy those new born cuddles, they can't be beaten. 30 week scan showed head had slowed in growth under 5th centile. All ultrasound examinations were reviewed, including biometric and anatomic examinations, based on ultrasound They told me they could do a spinal tap to find out if anything was wrong with her, but I opted not to. My bub was in 2nd percentile for head and 55th percentile for belly etc. My bubs head was down last scan & the ultrasnd tech had trouble getting a good picture for measurement, seriously dont stress too much, in just a couple if weeks you get another scan & im sure it will be all okay! Grade 3 bleed indicates there is more blood within the ventricles and the ventricles have become swollen (distended) or enlarged. The estimated age based on her head size is just 25 weeks while the rest is between 28-30 weeks. I am getting weekly U/S and NSTs my baby's is measuring small and the head smaller but there have been no "omg" concerns. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted HOW BABY HEAD MEASUREMENTS ARE TAKEN. I agree with pp you probably just have small babies and it will definitely help during labour lol. consultant says it could be fine or it could indicate an underlying problem but we've no way of knowing. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. Shows how inaccurate scans can be as others advised. consultant says it could be fine or it could indicate an underlying problem but we've no way of knowing. The doctor went on to say this indicated a strong likelihood of some kind of skeletal dysplasia. Last week doc measured her head at 30% when minutes prior the ultrasound tech measured it at 12%. This message is for Radchick. Because your baby may still be fragile with handling, nursing staff will observe your baby closely. My baby's head circumference was measureing 31.06 cm, 34 weeks and 5 days, 2.04 percentile. Babies grow in spurts and so can seem small one week and big the next. Thanks. People make things so complicated. Baby was born healthy with 35cm head which is exactly average for a newborn girl so was nothing to worry about in my case. This happened until she was delivered and the paediatricians were in the birthsuite with me since she had a small head. had our 20 week scan today. Microcephaly is a condition where a baby's head is much smaller than expected. The measurement of the head coincided more with a 19-week baby. fl: 65.0mm ga: 33w 4d However, most babies have a normal scan result or mild to moderate bleeding. When my DS was born his head measured small. Is anyone elses baby's head circumference measuring small? They know now that I have had a small baby before (he was born on the 9th percentile but shot up quickly after birth). facial distortions. Hugs xxx, My daughter had this and it just meant she had a slightly smaller head than a few other babies (nothing abnormal just small) made birth a lot easier haha! Bubs is head down so that may have something to do with it? Baby might grow for another 4 to 6 weeks and all should be well. I was told that my baby's head was measuring a week behind. Grade 1 bleed a small amount of bleeding limited to the lining of the ventricles. Just as large heads can, they don't always mean anything is wrong. You will be convinced your child has everything under the sun all the way to fetal alcohol syndrome. Obviously I have no genetic Link so my family history is irrelevant. So when I had her and they asked me to guess I nearly died when I was told she was 10'2. I would ask for clarification though. The sonographer told me that the baby's head was measuring small, but within normal. If your doctor isn't worried I wouldn't be. At his 6 week check, his head measurement was bang on the 75th centile, as was his length. Ob/gyn I have had NO prg issue's. Best of luck with your new arrival and rest assured if they felt the baby was at any risk they would have delivered straight away. I had a growth scan at 36 weeks. I'm just so nervous with this pregnancy. My scan results were very similar to yours, apart from our baby had a big tummy circumference . But iam in a similar situation . HealthTap uses cookies to enhance your site experience and for analytics and advertising purposes. I had a follow up scan due to a virus (coxsackie b) I contracted in the beginning of my third trimester. How reliable is the test to predict chromosomal abnormalities? To my boys: I will love you for youNot for what you have done or what you will becomeI will love you for youI will give you the loveThe love that you never knew. Yes, anos.I did Ring clinic to ask if donor had history of smaller head/ in her family and was told they did enquire and said no. Educational text answers on HealthTap are not intended for individual diagnosis, treatment or prescription. FOIA Preterm babies have an increased risk of changes within the brain and nearby structures. What does your doc say? They're more accurate and detailed and can give you a better idea of what is going on. Most babies with Grade 1 or 2 IVH will have normal development, or only mild problems. 1) a small head is called microcephaly. The radiographer or medical staff doing the scan will wash their hands thoroughly before and after the procedure. and transmitted securely. Can working in a hot place make me infertile? I have a little one too and his %iles for different parts of him seem to be all over the shop, tho all small. The measurements are plotted on a chart - the centiles (lines) on the chart show the expected range of . What is important is the growth velocity with time. Would you like email updates of new search results? Throughout all of it I would mention to the doctors that my husband and me both have small heads. To ensure that your baby is comfortable during the scan, they will be given (with your consent) either sucrose orally (sugar solution to help with mild pain) or a pacifier (dummy) as sucking can also provide comfort. The later scans are also looking for a specific brain injury called periventricular leukomalacia or PVLPeri (around) Ventricular (ventricles are fluid filled spaces in middle of the brain) Leuco (white matter) malacia (softening)is where injury to babys brain may lead to small holes developing within the white matter (tracts of nerve fibres travelling through brain to send messages to muscles) around the ventricles. For many families, your baby may just be small because you and your significant other are small. Maybe that's what the Dr ment, just that the head was smaller compared to the rest of baby? Disclaimer. I have growth scans every few weeks it seems and did for my last kiddo too since I always measure small. Your doctor will discuss the results with you on the same day, or the next day, depending on when the report is available (looked at by a specialist in head ultrasounds). He didn't mention follow up tests or another scan or anything. Is it normal procedure to get a growth scan this late? It could just be that the baby has a proportionately small head. She wasnt able to get all the measurements she needed so is bringing me back in a week and a half to get the rest. Last pregnancy, I had scans all the time because of a large baby and low lying placenta. PLoS Genet. I have had a very easy pg luckily so no indicators at all of any problems. When the doctor came in I didn't ask about it and he didn't mention it. Aug 21, 2016 at 11:17 PM. Mater acknowledges consumer consultation in the development of this patient information. She said it was still within the normal range - but on the tail end of normal. She said my husband and I aren't really big people so it's probably just a reflection of genetics and the baby's growth is following a curve. I tried calling my doc back, but he was gone for the day. My midwife said she would have been more concerned if the overall growth was slow. Her head has moved up to the 7th percentile 2 weeks ago. Kiwi6715 - what was the outcome with your baby? I am 36 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I had several referal ultra sound with specialists and all confirmed it. Start by selecting which of these best describes you! 8600 Rockville Pike All he said was baby measuring small but was still consistently on the curve sitting just below the 50th. I just can't stomach the possibility of a problem now when I chose this time to go DE as I didn't trust my older eggs. Nothing showed up on that. 2 wks later our scheduled growth scan showed BPD at <5th which jumped off the page at me and sonographer passed remark not to pay any heed to the scores. Most commonly, this gets better without any treatment, but sometimes it leads to the need for an operation to relieve the pressure. Babies weighing less than 1000 g or born at less than 28 weeks gestation will receive a third scan when they reach 3436 weeks corrected age. My partner's niece had a small head (at least there was concerns as a tiny baby) but she is fine. Sometimes babies have a condition called microcephaly. Unfortunately for others, measuring small can be a worrisome sign. This site needs JavaScript to work properly.