# Small head - lemon shaped



## Emmea12uk

My 20 weeks scan showed my baby has a very small lemon shaped head with no other abnormalities. My son was like this in all his scans too but he has hydrocephalus and spina bifida which they blamed the shape on. This time there are no other signs.

Does anyone else have any experience? Could it just be a family trait which is not associated with an abnormality?


----------



## vickyd

As far as i know a lemon shape head is usually the first marker for SB at the 12 week scan when they cant see anything else. At a 20 week scan they can clearly see the spine so therefore the lemon shape would not be the tell tale marker. Did your doctor tell you hes worried that LO has SB? I think it would be quite unlikely that the only finding would be the lemon shape. Try not to worry.


----------



## Emmea12uk

It was highly likely that the baby would have sb as I have two genetic mutations which make me prone to it. I did take all the right vitimins at the right stregnths. My previous child has sb.

But the spine appears normal and covered and the ventricals and cerebellum all appear normal. So it is a mystery.


----------



## heyyady

Emma- from what I've read the lemon sign appears in aprox 1.5% normal fetuses with no explanation.


----------



## sk100

Is baby lying breech as that can affect the shape? My baby's head has measured small throughout (from 20 to 35 weeks) compared with the rest of his body. I had a scan done by a fetal medicine specialist who said all was fine and all other growth scans by a consultant. She also said nothing to worry to about but I do worry TBH. I have my c-sec in 2 weeks and so will see what happens.


----------



## Emmea12uk

It has been oval shaped and small since the beginning. I have had 5 scans already, and the hc moves lower on the scale whilst everything else moves up - exactly the same as my son with spina bifida.

It is too early to know if it is breach.


----------



## sk100

Have you thought of getting a second opinion with a fetal medicine specialist. Prof Nicolaides at the Fetal Medicine Centre is one of the best in the country.

I was told at 20 week scan that baby was breech, and so it isn't too early to tell.


----------



## Emmea12uk

I phoned my private sonographer I use for bonding and she put my mind at rest and said everything sounds fine. It is fairly normal for a head to look like that if there are no other head signs which are easily spotted. I saw for myself the cerrebellum was fine and she said it wouldn't be in 99% of sb cases.

So I am calmer now! Thank you!


----------



## vickyd

Great News! Hope you can enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!


----------



## Emmea12uk

Been looking through my scan report and everything is small actually apart from the femurs. The baby is also transverse, even my fluid is low..... This is all weird because that is a massive bump!!


----------



## Sara sara

Hello , 
I hope you're doing well , 
I have same problem now , can u tell me what happing next ?! 
Because i am so afraid , she is my first baby !


----------

