SHORT FEMURS IN ULTRASOUND

[carpediemgirl077]

I am a mom to 4 wonderful girls ... (ages 10, 8, 21 months - and another is on the way  (due date 10-22-08))...  I'm NOT quite 35 -  I'm 32... but thought my question would pertain here better than a younger crowd...  I've had pre eclampsia with all 4 pregnancies... as well as horrible morning sickness... and gestational diabetes with them all too...    I'm currently (as of Aug 17th)  30 1/2 weeks along with this pregnancy..  my gestational diabetes is worse this time..  I'm on glyburide and watching my sugars very very closely...   I've gotten past the morning sickness stage THANK GOD... and I'm looking to find answers to a few questions I have.    At 26 weeks gestation, I had an ultrasound.  They noted that my baby had "short femurs".   They based this on the BiPariatel Diameter Ratio...  they said 70 was the low end of normal...  my baby measured at 67.   They did a repeat ultrasound at 28 weeks -  and found the same -  only this time, we measured 69.   They noted NOTHING else out of the ordinary - but scheduled me for a Level II ultrasound which I had done at 29 weeks.  At that ultrasound - the specialist and doctor spoke with me afterwards.  They said that other than having a bit shorter femurs, nothing else was out of the ordinary...  They told me that they don't use the BPD ratio when they look for things "wrong" with femurs -  and that unless a baby has femurs that measure in the 5th percentile they really don't worry.  We measured in the 9th to 10th percentile.    

Of course as a mom -  I'm still worried...  my doctor said not to worry -  this thing happens... yada yada yada...   I didn't have the triple screen done with this pregnancy  (odd... it was the ONLY pregnancy I didn't have one done with).  I have never carried a baby past 34 weeks as a result of having preeclampsia -  so I'm not going to risk anything and have an amnio done at this point.

Is it ever "normal" to have short femurs??

[DoulaSummer]

I am unfamiliar with the femur question, sorry.  I wanted to comment on your pre-e though.  Are you getting a LOT of protein?  Those who eat protein are WAY less likely to contract pre-e.  I was diagnosed at 9 weeks (yes) and put on bedrest and lasted until 35 weeks (termination was not an option for me).  It was crazy how much my bp went down after increasing my protein.  I had terrible HELLP and the only thing I could seem to keep down was cheap white bread and sprite, but I after I made myself to eat more protein (even if I threw it up, I was hoping for some absorption).  It made a lot of difference, although mine never went away :(

[SLJN]

Hi.....

Doctors have told me n my husband that our baby has short femur and Humerus bones... we r so worried... this is my second child.. my first child is perfect...according to doctors they say termination is the solution... am against that...doesn't this problem get better later as pregnancy progresses...

[DaniWants1More]

my lil guys femurs ran short too but he is now 4 months and growing like a weed. its funny his femurs were short and his head was at 40 week max lol but they have all caught up now he 95% for weight and 75% for height.  femurs normally run short atleast that is what i was told :) ~d

[C.F.]

I have the same thing...one doc gave me the worries and my original ob/gyn said that because I am not 6ft. tall that maybe my baby won't be either.  There were really no other concerns.  I also decided not to do amnio or nuchal....the triple screen showed nothing more or less.  I don't even remember what percentile the  baby was in back then...I am now 38wks.  I guess we shall see what happens.  I was/am worried because that's what us moms do best!  Good luck.  will let you know what happens....