Baby in the 7th percentile...very worried

[RomaTomato]

So we went in for our anatomy scan today, and suffice to say it was both disappointing and worrisome. I was very eager to find out the gender but the sonographer was unable to get a clean view of his/her bits...I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little let down.

I had a consultation with my GP immediately after, where upon she informed me that our baby is measuring "on the small side" and was in the 7th percentile but assured me that s/he was still in the "normal" range. I immediately burst into tears and asked if there was something wrong...being in the 7th percentile just doesn't sit right with me. She measured my fundal height and said it was 23 cm, which apparently is normal.

The thing is, there seems to be some discrepancies in my dates. I am 100% that my LMP was July 9, 2012. I tracked my cycles religiously as I'm sure many of you ladies did as well. I have a shortish cycle at 23-25 days. I had an US at 6w0d at which time I measured 7w0d. At my NT scan I was 12w5d but again measured a week ahead at 13w5d. I saw my GP the week and a bit after at which time she INSISTED that was NOT 15 weeks as my LMP would indicate but rather I was 16 weeks due to my 2 USs both being 1 week ahead, and that my EDD was April 8 not April 15 as I had thought. It took me a few weeks but I eventually accepted this new EDD and started to think of myself as a week further along than my LMP dates.

The sonographer even commented that I measuring more along the line of my LMP than the US dates.

So my question is this: do you suppose that if the measurements used to calculate my percentile at 23 weeks were applied to a 22 week fetus that there would be a significant difference?

I don't mind if I have a small baby, that isn't my concern really. I am just worried that something is horribly wrong. I of course Googled "7th percentile of fetal growth" and did not find anything pleasant. I called the clinic and asked for the doctor to call me back but she did not.

I am of average height at 5'6 and caucasian and my husband is 5'7, he is Filipino and the tallest person in his family of 8, his mom is not even 5 feet and his 3 sisters are all around 5'2-5'3. Not sure if ethnicity plays a part but you'd think that a baby that is half Asian could be on the small side as well?

Also, 3 different scans and 3 different sonographers, on 3 different machines. My OB has a small US in his office but was able to tell me yesterday that the baby weighed 1 lb and he did not seem to be concerned about anything....

 

[jen435]

i am sorry u are so worried and had a hard day. Dates are always a discrepsy and babys seem to grow at different paces. I think bc ur doctor put u ahead a week due to measurements ur baby could be measuring a little small due to that. I am seeing a high risk doctor that measures my baby and i noticed that if i go on a monday baby is bigger and im 5-6days further along. If i go towards end of week baby is behind... Its so odd. I think some times too many u/s arent good. Will u be going for another us soon for measurements agian?? I hope ur babys just fine for u and that u can find some peace. As for 7th thingy that is new to me i hope someone can shed some light on that for u with good outcome what is there next step? Also how many days/weeks are u behind with the measurements??

 

[TTC Baby M]

I actually read something just recently that said going by your LMP was WAY WAY more accurate than going by u/sound scans especially as you get further along. So the way I would look at it is go by your LMP and if you go by that you probably wont be quite as small/low weight as they have said, from what I can gather a week can mean quite a difference in a little bubbys growth

 

[kintenda]

I actually read something just recently that said going by your LMP was WAY WAY more accurate than going by u/sound scans especially as you get further along. So the way I would look at it is go by your LMP and if you go by that you probably wont be quite as small/low weight as they have said, from what I can gather a week can mean quite a difference in a little bubbys growth

Actually, not to be rude but I respectfully disagree with that. Dating scans can be inaccurate early on. The sonagraphers have said to me and local midwives that the most accurate time to date is within the 10th week of pregnancy, but up to the 12th/13th week is fine as babies tend to grow at a uniform rate until then, although there may be a couple of days discrepancy earlier on (like conception-9 wks).

OP, you might find that your baby is a bit on the small side now but will catch up later on. I'm sure that if they were concerned they would have called you back for another scan. I'm not sure about the genetic link, but I know as a (nearly qualified!) paediatric nurse that the centile charts will be based on the averages of foetal growth. I don't really know about how much difference potentially being out a week would make. I would give your clinic another call today just to check with the doc as they might have been too busy to call you back yesterday.

As an aside - Google is never good!

Fingers crossed for you xx

 

[dan-o]

My boy was born on the 7th centile for 40+5, which was a weight of 7lbs exactly, not what I would consider excessively small at all!
By 6w old he caught up to he 50th centile and has stayed around that mark every since.

 

[summer rain]

I really wouldn't worry at all. My two eldest were measuring off the bottom of the charts for several of their measurements and had to have repeat scans, my eldest was born bang on the 50th centile and my second eldest was born on above the 98th centile at 9lb 12! So clearly the scans weren't accurate in their case xx

 

[sethsmummy]

I would not worry too much hun. 7th Centile is not that small, my first born was born on the 2nd centile at 5lb 14oz and dropped down below the 0.4th shortly after birth. He was not excessively small so i would not be worried about a baby in the 7th centile at all. My baby this time is already measuring 5 days behind at the 21 week scan and find out next week whether he has caught up yet or not.

Plus hun the sonogrophers measurements can be very wrong so i would take the weight they give you with a pinch of salt... they were out around 2lb with my son by the last estimate at 37 weeks. xxx

 

[charmed]

hi ya my baby is same body in mid ranges and head they seem think very small, getting referred tomorrow to see the doc at fetal meds im terrifed - she said that baby is perfect and all ok and brain fine just small head but me and my mum have small head and baby is a girlie too so i think thats y.... really want them to say all ok and just want rescan me in few weeks to check growth - do you think they would offer deeper tests if really worried tomorrow or wait til 2nd re scan later... cant stop and relax now truely scared for my beauiful babba they had been so happy and up beat at scan and talked though everything, and then at end said oh head tiny! xxxx

 

[sethsmummy]

hi ya my baby is same body in mid ranges and head they seem think very small, getting referred tomorrow to see the doc at fetal meds im terrifed - she said that baby is perfect and all ok and brain fine just small head but me and my mum have small head and baby is a girlie too so i think thats y.... really want them to say all ok and just want rescan me in few weeks to check growth - do you think they would offer deeper tests if really worried tomorrow or wait til 2nd re scan later... cant stop and relax now truely scared for my beauiful babba they had been so happy and up beat at scan and talked though everything, and then at end said oh head tiny! xxxx

I have a feeling hun that they will wait till you are a little further on and re-scan.. then after that if head is still measuring small they may do further investigation. I have heard of people who were told the head was measuring small but then got a re-scan at 28 weeks and all was fine and in proportion xx

 

[April76]

when i had my scan the nurse scanning my said "ohhh thats a big baby!" this scared me silly.

I had a HUGE bump so i believed her.

When my son was born he was 7lb 9oz, and not very long. I was carrying a lot of fluid. He is nearly 9 months and is still a small dinky baby. The nurse got it very wrong.

I would try and not worry. (i know its easier said than done)

 

[RomaTomato]

Thank you girls!!!

 

[xdxxtx]

The anomaly scan is actually the last ultrasound you'll have that's very accurate. However, after the first trimester, babies go through their growth spurts on their own time. Some babies will measure BIG one week and normal the next, or SMALL one week and BIG the next. It's crazy how quickly they can grow a little. This is one of many reasons your baby could be measuring small.

Another reason for a baby measuring in such a low percentile is, yes, the genes. How big were you when you were born? How big was your husband? Both of you have a fetal growth gene, and one of them will take over and decide how large your baby will be.

The above is based on my limited medical knowledge, as I'm just starting to study to be a midwife.

During my last pregnancy, there was a thread about people for whom it was normal to have a baby who measured very small in second tri and onwards. Their babies would often be born smaller than most babies, but it was the norm for those people. Chances are, it's the same for you. I'll look for that thread, but I'm sure it's hidden pretty well by now, as that was about a year ago.

 

[charmed]

hiya just to update all had my rescan done and told babys head on the 5th cent and rescan in 2 weeks to assess growth if carries on growing there is no issue only prob if body grows and baby head stays small. had blood test for infections but he said no markers for infection so hes happy at moment. phew. still scared and see at rescan on 27th what they say - i said r they sure nothing is worse and said at moment all very healthy so have wait and see. fingers crossed. xxx good luck to sweetie lets hope ouir babbas grow and grow xxx

 

[kintenda]

hiya just to update all had my rescan done and told babys head on the 5th cent and rescan in 2 weeks to assess growth if carries on growing there is no issue only prob if body grows and baby head stays small. had blood test for infections but he said no markers for infection so hes happy at moment. phew. still scared and see at rescan on 27th what they say - i said r they sure nothing is worse and said at moment all very healthy so have wait and see. fingers crossed. xxx good luck to sweetie lets hope ouir babbas grow and grow xxx

Best of luck hun xx

 

[No.6was4c]

I am going through the exact same thing and am due to see a FME on Monday. Baby is measuring in the 6th percentile and they put me forward by 5 days at my 12 wk scan where I was measuring 13 wks but no without any doubt I was 12wk2d as that was from my O date and I temped and took opk's so I am positive. They also said that they thought the liquor volume was low so I am going to be checked. Petrified as I lost a baby at 24 weeks in 2010 so I'm praying it's all good news. I am sure the growth discrepancy is due to the discrepancy in moving you further ahead than you thought.

Try not to worry. I'm sure all will be well. This is baby no.7 for me and they told me baby 1 was going o be clinically small (ie under 4lbs at birth)... He was born at 39 wks and weighed 6lbs 12oz! Xxx