# What could cause small baby, small placenta, intrauterine growth retardation?



## That Is Nice

What could cause a low birth weight baby, small placenta, and intrauterine growth retardation?

My baby was unexpectedly low birth weight (5 lbs), the placenta was quite small (half the normal weight) and showed other abnormalities (abnormal shape, color, sheen), and the doctors later said there was intrauterine growth retardation.

Interestingly enough, we had mutliple ultrasounds because we had some soft markers for other problems that turned out to be false. None of the ultrasound measurements or manual abdominal measurements (other than one that was on the low side) were off or abnormal. I measured small but always within the normal range.

In addition to the small size and small placenta, the baby had a lot of heavy meconium, low Apgars, a heart murmur, and had trouble regulating body temperature and blood sugar.

It was a planned pregnancy, I had good pre-natal care, I ate well, I've never smoked. I was not on birth control of any kind for years before pregnancy. I did not take any medications. I did not drink any alcohol. I took prenatal vitamins.

We have no known genetic conditions in either family. Cousins of my baby have all been above 6 lbs, most are in the 7 to 9 lb range.

My baby was not early (was full term) but did show signs of post-term (wrinkled skin, etc).

Any ideas for causes? Anyone else been through something similar?

Also, I want to add that my child now as a toddler has hypotonia (low muscle tone), significant speech delay, mild motor delay, and has had poor growth overall (low on the growth charts, less than 5th percentile), as well as multiple food allergies and sensory issues. I have always had terrible periods, lots of intense cramping, pain, and heavy bleeding.

Any ideas?


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## Lovemy3babies

I have no clue. What has the pedi said?

I just want to offer hugs







I am so sorry your going through this, and I pray for you and your family!


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Lovemy3babies* 
I have no clue. What has the pedi said?

I just want to offer hugs







I am so sorry your going through this, and I pray for you and your family!

Thanks.

We've been working with the pediatrician, and have been referred to several specialists...geneticists, developmental pediatricians, allergists, genetic counselors, etc. So far lots of info and a few ideas, but nothing conclusive.


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## leafwood

No ideas, but just wanted to send support your way. It sounds like you have a lot to deal with right now! It may sound nuts, but I've always tried to meditate on issues with my babes. Almost sit and be quiet and peaceful and ask them to help you understand. I truly believe that even the littlest souls can communicate quite clearly if we find a way to hear them. Trust your gut, and continue to seek information from professionals until you are completely confident that you have the answers you need/want.

Ds had issues with rapid breathing after he was born (also had an IUGR dx late in preg). It was so incredibly taxing, but all along I just knew that he was fine and he did grow out of it. However, I went all over consulting with specialists to leave no stone unturned.

Good luck with your journey, and I hope you are enjoying your little bundle!


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *leafwood* 
However, I went all over consulting with specialists to leave no stone unturned.

Good luck with your journey, and I hope you are enjoying your little bundle!

Thank you so much. That is how I feel...leave no stone unturned. I don't want the answer to out there, but unfound because I didn't look hard enough.


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## popsicle sticks

We've been through something similar.









My pregnancy was considered normal and my measurements were fine. I ate well and avoided everything including tylenol. I remember that ds's movements didn't feel as frequent or as strong as with my first, but when I mentioned it to the OB's they said I was just busy with a toddler this time around and everything looked great.

My ds was full term but was 5 pounds at birth and did appear post term. I don't know about the placenta. He had aspirated meconium, he came out unexpectedly breech, he was jaundiced and he wasn't breathing on his own for the first few hours. Someone has mentioned a benign heart murmur in the past, but most people don't pick it up (and I have one myself). He wasn't regulating his body functions for the first few days after birth and was in the NICU for a week. It was only because his bloodwork was off that an ultrasound was done to check for bleeding on his brain which he had (thanks, I will always believe, to the OB spazzing out in the delivery room and trying to manually dislodge ds's head), but we also found through the ultrasound that ds has a congenital birth defect in which a white matter section of his brain (the corpus callosum) did not form. Two MRI's have confirmed this as well.

He's three now, he's holding pretty steady on the 3th-5th percentile for height and weight. He usually has except for when he was about seven months old and had RSV and dropped off the chart completely. He has global delays however he's making progress in a typical developmental pattern, just on his own timeline. He has a few other physical quirks that are not expected to give him any trouble or require correction. He has hypotonia and also has strabismus and we treat him as though he has sensory issues...however the only food issue we've dealt with is trouble digesting milk (like my Dh and my oldest ds).

All this to say, many of the things we've both experienced with our ds's have been experienced with other kids and there are a wide variety of causes, both known and unknown. Even though we have a dx, we still don't know why it happened.

My prayers to you and your family as you look for answers.







I think a dev ped is a good place to start, and I would consider a neurologist as well.


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## Changed

There are so so many genetic abnormalities, it's hard to know where to even start but I can say that ime, lots of kids with different syndromes start out with IUGR and placental issues. Start out meaning, that's just something observed early on before other delays become apparent.

Good luck finding what you're looking for.


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *popsicle sticks* 
We've been through something similar.









My pregnancy was considered normal and my measurements were fine. I ate well and avoided everything including tylenol. I remember that ds's movements didn't feel as frequent or as strong as with my first, but when I mentioned it to the OB's they said I was just busy with a toddler this time around and everything looked great.

My ds was full term but was 5 pounds at birth and did appear post term. I don't know about the placenta. He had aspirated meconium, he came out unexpectedly breech, he was jaundiced and he wasn't breathing on his own for the first few hours. Someone has mentioned a benign heart murmur in the past, but most people don't pick it up (and I have one myself). He wasn't regulating his body functions for the first few days after birth and was in the NICU for a week. It was only because his bloodwork was off that an ultrasound was done to check for bleeding on his brain which he had (thanks, I will always believe, to the OB spazzing out in the delivery room and trying to manually dislodge ds's head), but we also found through the ultrasound that ds has a congenital birth defect in which a white matter section of his brain (the corpus callosum) did not form. Two MRI's have confirmed this as well.

He's three now, he's holding pretty steady on the 3th-5th percentile for height and weight. He usually has except for when he was about seven months old and had RSV and dropped off the chart completely. He has global delays however he's making progress in a typical developmental pattern, just on his own timeline. He has a few other physical quirks that are not expected to give him any trouble or require correction. He has hypotonia and also has strabismus and we treat him as though he has sensory issues...however the only food issue we've dealt with is trouble digesting milk (like my Dh and my oldest ds).

All this to say, many of the things we've both experienced with our ds's have been experienced with other kids and there are a wide variety of causes, both known and unknown. Even though we have a dx, we still don't know why it happened.

My prayers to you and your family as you look for answers.







I think a dev ped is a good place to start, and I would consider a neurologist as well.

Wow. Whoa. This all sounds so familar, on multiple (nearly all) accounts. We've been through almost all of this, too.


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Changed* 
There are so so many genetic abnormalities, it's hard to know where to even start but I can say that ime, lots of kids with different syndromes start out with IUGR and placental issues. Start out meaning, that's just something observed early on before other delays become apparent.

Good luck finding what you're looking for.









Thanks.

I agree...my gut instinct tells me it is something genetic, not necessarily something from our genese, but a mutation of the genes. My LO has at least one genetic anomaly, but genetic testing ruled out the major genetic issues.


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *popsicle sticks* 
My pregnancy was considered normal and my measurements were fine. I ate well and avoided everything including tylenol. I remember that ds's movements didn't feel as frequent or as strong as with my first.

Me, too.


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *popsicle sticks* 
My ds was full term but was 5 pounds at birth and did appear post term.

Yes! Us, too. My baby was full term, weighed 5 lbs, and also had post term signs...skin sloughing, I believe, some wrinking, and some other signs.

Did anyone ever explain why a baby could be so small and term, but appear post term? I don't think we got an explanation on that. I wonder if it's because the placenta wasn't doing it's job?


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *popsicle sticks* 
He had aspirated meconium, he came out unexpectedly breech, he was jaundiced and he wasn't breathing on his own for the first few hours. Someone has mentioned a benign heart murmur in the past, but most people don't pick it up (and I have one myself). He wasn't regulating his body functions for the first few days after birth and was in the NICU for a week.

Yes, again. This all happened to us, as well, except my baby didn't aspirate the meconium. Meconium was present...it was heavy, dark, and thick.

There was a heart murmur (later confirmed to be benign). My baby had trouble regulating body functions (temperature and blood sugars mostly). Feeding was difficult.

We were in the NICU for about a week, as well. We had slight jaundice on...let's see...the second or third day, but it went away.

My baby was also malpositioned. Not breech but op...head down, face up, and turned to the side. We ended up with an emergency c-section after hours of agonizing back labor that did not progress.


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *popsicle sticks* 
he's holding pretty steady on the 3th-5th percentile for height and weight. He usually has except for when he was about seven months old and had RSV and dropped off the chart completely. He has global delays however he's making progress in a typical developmental pattern, just on his own timeline. He has a few other physical quirks that are not expected to give him any trouble or require correction. He has hypotonia and also has strabismus and we treat him as though he has sensory issues...however the only food issue we've dealt with is trouble digesting milk (like my Dh and my oldest ds).

Wow. This is uncanny. My LO (now a toddler) has also always been below the 5th percentile, a few times off the charts completely.

We also have global delays, atypical development. Progress has been made...all milestones have been met eventually...just delayed...like you said on their own timeline.

My LO also has hypotonia (which contributes to the motor delays and speech delay).

And my LO also has major sensory issues and trouble digesting milk products. (other food allergies, as well).


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *popsicle sticks* 
I think a dev ped is a good place to start, and I would consider a neurologist as well.

Thank you. We've seen a dev ped, and that was helpful (also a geneticist). Next I think we'll look into a neurologist.










Good luck to you.


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## coyotemist

as a mama of 2 kiddos with "syndromes" (ectodermal displaysia and familial adenopous polyposis) one of whom also has cerebral palsy...I understand. It's scary and hard, and you just don't know what to expect.

There are a couple things I've learned out of this...special kids are more empathetic and caring than many other kids, they've been through the gamit and understand, also they are all perfect regardless of their physical circumstances.

Things will work out in the end, don't forget to let your kiddo be a kid. The "experts" often try to push us into too much "therapy" and kids dont' have time for fun.


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## popsicle sticks

Quote:


Originally Posted by *That Is Nice* 

My LO also has hypotonia (which contributes to the motor delays and speech delay).

And my LO also has major sensory issues and trouble digesting milk products. (other food allergies, as well).

For us, ds's hypotonia is all over and that includes his digestive tract. Milk constipates him very badly...however milk issues definately run in the family so it's hard to say one way or the other. Rice used to have a similar effect on ds.

My ds does a few interesting self stim or sensory processing behaviors too which make him appear to have sensory issues, but it would be more accurate to say it's a byproduct of his dx in our case. We do a sensory diet with him and that has meant a ton as far as his development!


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## mrsfru

"There are so so many genetic abnormalities, it's hard to know where to even start but I can say that ime, lots of kids with different syndromes start out with IUGR and placental issues. Start out meaning, that's just something observed early on before other delays become apparent."

I'd have to agree that this is most likely. Also, obviously, if the placenta is not functioning correctly, you're more likely to see signs of IUGR and a baby who might look post-dates but isn't really (low fluid can influence that, too, and a poorly functioning placenta can cause low fluid). It goes both ways--a baby who isn't developing properly won't send the proper signs to the placenta and a placenta that isn't developing properly won't be able to properly nourish the growing baby. It can be very difficult even for specialists to know which came first sometimes.

mrsfru


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## That Is Nice

Thank you very much for sharing all your experiences. It's been very helpful.


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## MotherDuck

nak

There is the possibility that ultrasounds are to blame.

Here are some links:
http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/article...ound-scans.htm

Quote:

Studies on humans exposed to ultrasound have shown that possible adverse effects include premature ovulation,24 preterm labour or miscarriage,15 25 low birth weight,26 27 poorer condition at birth,28 29 perinatal death,28-30 dyslexia,31 delayed speech development,32 and less right-handedness.33-36 Non right-handedness is, in other circumstances, seen as a marker of damage to the developing brain.35 37 One Australian study showed that babies exposed to 5 or more doppler ultrasounds were 30% more likely to develop intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR)- a condition that ultrasound is often used to detect.26
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...p?q=ultrasound

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...oundwagner.asp

Quote:

The second landmark paper, also a randomized controlled trial, looked at the safety of repeated prenatal ultrasound imaging. While the original purpose of the trial was hopefully to demonstrate the safety of repeated scanning, the results were the opposite. From 2,834 pregnant women, 1,415 received ultrasound imaging at 18, 24, 28, 34 and 38 weeks gestation (intensive group) while the other 1,419 received single ultrasound imaging at 18 weeks (regular group). The only difference between the two groups was significantly higher (one-third more) intrauterine growth retardation in the intensive group. This important and serious finding prompted the authors to state: "It would seem prudent to limit ultrasound examinations of the fetus to those cases in which the information is likely to be of clinical importance." Ironically, it is now likely that ultrasound may lead to the very condition, IUGR, that it has for so long claimed to be effective in detecting.


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MotherDuck* 
nak

There is the possibility that ultrasounds are to blame.

Here are some links:
http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/article...ound-scans.htm

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...p?q=ultrasound

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...oundwagner.asp

Thank you. I am familar with this topic. I had read up on ultrasounds before I decided to have the first ultrasound. I read a lot of articles and asked a lot of questions of my doctor, midwife, doula, the geneticist, and the perinatologist. I don't ultrasounds were the cause or contributed, in my case, to the intrauterine growth retardation, mainly because there were other issues present at birth that pointed to something else.

But it is good to be aware of the issues involved with ultrasounds. For what it's worth (I know it's anecdotal) I know several mothers who had more ultrasounds than I did and their babies were healthy, term, and good sizes. And I believe of all the women I know (many) who had a baby, they all had on average 1 to 2 ultrasounds and they didn't experience any of the problems that we did.


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## mom2hannah

Just my 2 cents.... check your thyroid. Most women think they are 'normal' when they are not. A healthy woman should have a TSH below 2. closer to 1 is fine as well. If your thyroid levels are not right during pregnancy, it can slow growth and cause many issues for the fetus, if you are even able to carry it to term. I am convinced that many 2nd trimester miscarriages are the result of thyroid problems in the mother. Mine was low and my OB put me on meds before I got pregnant. I had to increase my meds after my 2nd trimester. dd was small, (4 days late) but otherwise seems fine. My mom was not diagnosed until she was in her 40's... when she was pregnant with my younger sister at 22, she was induced at 10 months (this was over 30 years ago). The baby was barely 5 pounds and showed signs of being premature. She died the next day from a lung issue normally found in preemies. I don't know about some of the other physical issues (such as the wrinkling). I, on the other hand, weighed over 8 1/2 pounds. I believe my mom's thyroid slowed after giving birth to me, and that's where the problem occurred. I have these same issues now, so I'm very careful to monitor my thyroid and watch my symptoms.
I don't know exactly what this means for your baby, if this is in fact the reason for the characteristics you are seeing. But you might want to do a little research in this area and see what you can find out.
I wish you the best in your journey--


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## mom2hannah

Quote:


Originally Posted by *That Is Nice* 
I have always had terrible periods, lots of intense cramping, pain, and heavy bleeding.

Any ideas?

by the way, forgot to mention above... THIS REASON ALONE is enough to suspect hypothyroidism. other symptoms would be... dry, flaky skin, cracked heels, constipation or hard stools, fatigue, depression, difficulty managing anger, brain fog, hair falling out, sparse hair on outer third of eyebrows (yes!), low or no libido, heart palpitations, difficulty conceiving, rosacea, acne, the list goes on and on....


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mom2hannah* 
Just my 2 cents.... check your thyroid. Most women think they are 'normal' when they are not. A healthy woman should have a TSH below 2. closer to 1 is fine as well. If your thyroid levels are not right during pregnancy, it can slow growth and cause many issues for the fetus, if you are even able to carry it to term. I am convinced that many 2nd trimester miscarriages are the result of thyroid problems in the mother. Mine was low and my OB put me on meds before I got pregnant. I had to increase my meds after my 2nd trimester. dd was small, (4 days late) but otherwise seems fine. My mom was not diagnosed until she was in her 40's... when she was pregnant with my younger sister at 22, she was induced at 10 months (this was over 30 years ago). The baby was barely 5 pounds and showed signs of being premature. She died the next day from a lung issue normally found in preemies. I don't know about some of the other physical issues (such as the wrinkling). I, on the other hand, weighed over 8 1/2 pounds. I believe my mom's thyroid slowed after giving birth to me, and that's where the problem occurred. I have these same issues now, so I'm very careful to monitor my thyroid and watch my symptoms.
I don't know exactly what this means for your baby, if this is in fact the reason for the characteristics you are seeing. But you might want to do a little research in this area and see what you can find out.
I wish you the best in your journey--

Thank you so much for this. I thought about this possibility, too. I had my thyroid checked prior to conceiving because I have always had unusually bad periods (debilitating actually) and heavy bleeding and clotting. The levels checked out fine, however, they were never re-checked during pregnancy. It's something I'll add to my list to discuss with my doctor.


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## mom2hannah

Quote:


Originally Posted by *That Is Nice* 
Thank you so much for this. I thought about this possibility, too. I had my thyroid checked prior to conceiving because I have always had unusually bad periods (debilitating actually) and heavy bleeding and clotting. The levels checked out fine, however, they were never re-checked during pregnancy. It's something I'll add to my list to discuss with my doctor.










They told me for years that mine were 'fine' too, when in fact they were not. They were within range for the labs so nothing flagged, but after seeing an endocrinologist 4 years ago I found out my 'normal' TSH was only normal for a 70 year old woman!







If they just TOLD you it was normal and you don't know what your numbers were, request a copy of your labs or pull them out and take a look if you already have a copy. It's really apallling how many doctors are unaware of this issue. So many women are suffering needlessly, and I think many many women who are on antidepressants actually would benefit from thyroid treatment.

I also wonder how many women suffer a thyroid drop during pregnancy... I wouldn't have known either if we weren't already aware of my situation and monitoring it. My doctor told me it's not uncommon to have to adjust thyroid medication during pregnancy, so I would think if someone is subclinical (borderline) that they should also be monitored. In fact, I think ALL women should have this test at least once during pregnancy as part of their routine visit. A basic test through my lab is only $46 without insurance. Not much in the grand scheme....

And, If I were you, I would absolutely get tested again. MANY women suffer a drop in thryoid production after having a baby, so if you were subclinical to begin with, you might have crossed the line now.

feel free to PM me if you have any questions about this.


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mom2hannah* 
They told me for years that mine were 'fine' too, when in fact they were not. They were within range for the labs so nothing flagged, but after seeing an endocrinologist 4 years ago I found out my 'normal' TSH was only normal for a 70 year old woman!







If they just TOLD you it was normal and you don't know what your numbers were, request a copy of your labs or pull them out and take a look if you already have a copy. It's really apallling how many doctors are unaware of this issue. So many women are suffering needlessly, and I think many many women who are on antidepressants actually would benefit from thyroid treatment.

I also wonder how many women suffer a thyroid drop during pregnancy... I wouldn't have known either if we weren't already aware of my situation and monitoring it. My doctor told me it's not uncommon to have to adjust thyroid medication during pregnancy, so I would think if someone is subclinical (borderline) that they should also be monitored. In fact, I think ALL women should have this test at least once during pregnancy as part of their routine visit. A basic test through my lab is only $46 without insurance. Not much in the grand scheme....

And, If I were you, I would absolutely get tested again. MANY women suffer a drop in thryoid production after having a baby, so if you were subclinical to begin with, you might have crossed the line now.

feel free to PM me if you have any questions about this.









Thank you so much for this!























I am going to make an appointment and have my thyroid retested. I totally see what you are saying. I had a mild medical condition a few years ago that was measured two different ways...well, one measurement was normal and one was off and for years the doctors looked at the main measurement with lab work, even though I had persistent symptoms. Then, finally, I had an appointment with a really great doctor and she noticed the other number was way off, ordered some tests, and guess what, the problem I'd suspected for years was confirmed even though multiple doctors had told me otherwise.

So, yeah, I think doctors are overworked and don't spend enough patient time discussing the problems and checking your lab results...and you're right...you really need to see a specialist and not a general practioner.

Thank you so much!!!


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mom2hannah* 
A basic test through my lab is only $46 without insurance. Not much in the grand scheme....

Isn't that crazy? Such a simple thing to test.


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mom2hannah* 
My mom was not diagnosed until she was in her 40's... when she was pregnant with my younger sister at 22, she was induced at 10 months (this was over 30 years ago). The baby was barely 5 pounds and showed signs of being premature. She died the next day from a lung issue normally found in preemies.











This is so sad. What a tragedy.


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## ericswifey27

I wish you well on your journey.

thank you to pp about thyroid info- I may benefit from looking in to this issue as well...


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## A&A

O/T to MotherDuck: I'm so tired of the left-handedness discrimination. You know, being homosexual used to be seen as "evidence of damage to the brain," as well. Obviously science doesn't think that way any more. Being left-handed is a normal variation, too.


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## major bedhead

Just wanted to add my story, and also refute the suggestion that ultrasounds might be the cause of IUGR. In my case, my youngest was IUGR, born at 37 weeks at 5lbs. Placenta showed multiple thromboses and calcification sites and was significantly smaller than average. I, like the OP, had consistent prenatal care and no known risk factors prior to pregnancy. My first u/s was at 18 weeks, which was AFTER the initial questionable AFP test. In other words -- there was already something going on before the u/s took place. (And, FWIW, I did a significant amount of research about u/s before agreeing to have one).

Interesting correlations though -- my youngest, who was my second, was much less active all the way along than his older brother. I rationalized later that he was conserving all of his energy. I've also symptoms of hypothyroidism, though my TSH levels show in the clinical "normal" range.

Thanks for the info, and to That is Nice -- I can appreciate how hard your situation is. I've been told that my situation was ideopathic, which is completely unsatisfactory, but what other way is there to say "we just don't know"?


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## hislittlelambs

my first DD was termed "IUGR" as well. I have combed my birth records after reading this post and can find NOTHING about the placenta or my thyroid levels during pregnancy...(this was 6 years ago, so i am unsure if it was even checked!)

basically, she was born at 38w,4d at a weight of 4lbs, 11oz. where my story differs from the others shared so far, is there was no mec, no heart murmer, no nicu, no trama of any other sort. apgars of 8/9. she has never had any developemental delays, just always very very small. always was in the 0-3% percentile, many times falling off the chart. but very healthy. had several peds "check her out" at the hospital when she was born, and they deemed her very healthy, just small. told me not to worry, that she'd catch up eventually. at 6 years old she is barely 3 feet tall and weighs 30 lbs exactly.

i had a very healthy pregnancy like each of you...took prenatals religiously, never smoked, drank, never missed an appointment, did prenatal yoga, ate healthy, stayed hydrated, stayed physically active...etc. she always measured right on for dates until the 7th month when fundal height started to measure "off" abit....she was still growing, just slower. u/s ordered around 30 weeks to check on growth.moved her edd 9 days forward, but said she was otherwise growing well. doctor said i would have a small baby like her small mama. (i was 6lbs even at birth. my brother 6.7. i am 100 pounds and 5 foot tall non pregnant.for the last 4 generations no woman in my family has ever been taller than 5 foot 2)

i have had 2 other baby's since then. all in the 6 pounder range.

her sister, who is 1 year younger than her, was 6.7 at birth and even now at age 5 is only 3 foot tall and 32 pounds. both girls have stayed the relatively same size. dd#2 has always been in the 5% since infancy.

DS was 6.11 at birth. he is almost 2 now. he has always stayed in the 7th %.

all my kids have been "Small"...only dd#1 was termed with IUGR. also...all my pregnancies at the 30th week "slow down"....i had u/s ordered for each of them at that same time in pregnancy, all u/s's came back "baby normal for dates"...

Julia,my oldest and the "IUGR" baby is now being seen by a pediatric endocrinologist becuase of her lack of height. they have run blood test after blood test and bone scans to rule out Turners syndrome. they say her growth hormone level is within normal range, yet still keep us coming back every 6months for checks on her standing and sitting height. (seems her legs are normal size for her age, she "loses" her height in her torso) i was put through tremendous testing and screening for "being small" as a child.truth was, i didn't hit any real growth spurts until purberty, but having the kids teasing at school reenforced by the numerous doctors appts and mymom forcing me to drink protien shakes that body builders drink just reinforced in my mind that i was "unusual, different, not good enough".....because of these scars I am very untrusting of docs and thier "concerns" for height. DH says i walk into every ped appt with my dd "with loaded guns"...i don't mean to be so defensive...i think if she showed other developemental delays or other tests came back even borderline, then i was feel more of a _need_ to be there. as of now, if they want to shoot her up with growth hormones because they predict her at being 4 foot 10 inches tall at the age of 18 (mind you, only 2 inches shorter than me as an adult) with no evidence whatsoever her body or organs are being put in jeopardy by other underlying conditions, then no. being short isn't a disease. IF there is another disease causing her to be short, that is a whole other ballgame....but as of now i am about ready to punch some docs out. sorry...i didn'tmean toget into all of that. her next appt is coming up and i am pregnant and hormonal and just tired...i feel like i have been fighting the "short battle" since my own childhood. (which is another thing, i have a picture of me with my brother. i am 5, almost 6 years old, my brother had just turned 3. we are the exact same size. and that is with me being born at 6 pounds! dd was born at 4...of course she is never going to amount to "thier normal" charts.)

i am very curious about the thyroid connection though. i know they specifically checked my thyroid in my second pregnancy and TOLD me it was normal. i have looked through the records and i can't find the thyroid numbers on the lab results. what exactly do they appear as when written in "doc/lab code"?


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## carmenfr

Quote:


Originally Posted by *That Is Nice* 
What could cause a low birth weight baby, small placenta, and intrauterine growth retardation?

My baby was unexpectedly low birth weight (5 lbs), the placenta was quite small (half the normal weight) and showed other abnormalities (abnormal shape, color, sheen), and the doctors later said there was intrauterine growth retardation.

Interestingly enough, we had mutliple ultrasounds because we had some soft markers for other problems that turned out to be false. None of the ultrasound measurements or manual abdominal measurements (other than one that was on the low side) were off or abnormal. I measured small but always within the normal range.

In addition to the small size and small placenta, the baby had a lot of heavy meconium, low Apgars, a heart murmur, and had trouble regulating body temperature and blood sugar.

It was a planned pregnancy, I had good pre-natal care, I ate well, I've never smoked. I was not on birth control of any kind for years before pregnancy. I did not take any medications. I did not drink any alcohol. I took prenatal vitamins.

We have no known genetic conditions in either family. Cousins of my baby have all been above 6 lbs, most are in the 7 to 9 lb range.

My baby was not early (was full term) but did show signs of post-term (wrinkled skin, etc).

Any ideas for causes? Anyone else been through something similar?

Also, I want to add that my child now as a toddler has hypotonia (low muscle tone), significant speech delay, mild motor delay, and has had poor growth overall (low on the growth charts, less than 5th percentile), as well as multiple food allergies and sensory issues. I have always had terrible periods, lots of intense cramping, pain, and heavy bleeding.

Any ideas?

Hi

this is just my theory on what cld have possibly caused this problem, but I will give you a bit of background on my own experience and why I'm doing research. My daughter is 4 years old, no problems during the pregnancy. My problems started after the labour when my placenta didn't detach(blood loss 2.5l). I have been told by a midwife that it can be a complication from being induced on syntocinon. I had a manual placental removal, bled for 6 weeks, no pain or smell. At my 6 week review I was sent for a scan, there was still some placenta inside me, I then had a d&c, during which they perforated my uterus(blood loss 1.5l). I was then monitored for about 4 weeks until all the blood behind the uterus had been absorbed. The test for placenta accreta came back negative.

My next pregnancy had endless placenta problems. Placenta previa, placenta percreta, placenta abruption. I was pregnant with id twins they had assymetry of the placenta(uneven placenta share, with one having +-25% and the other 75%) velamenous cord insertion, succenturiate lobe, small placenta 230g at 25 weeks when I lost them. The usual size of a placenta is 400-600g for a singleton and twins is usually 1.5 times larger. Abnormally shaped "freaky" placenta and TTTS(disease of the placenta, the progression of this was in the reverse order of the usual progression) My boys passing was recorded as severe IUGR (535g & 850g) and TTTS. I have related all these problems either back to scarring from uterine surgery and an implantation problem (because my uterus was too badly damaged)which causes placental problem other than 1 problem TTTS which I'm now doing research on.

I think the d&c and mpr damaged the lining of my uterus. I think I might have had an infection but not realised because I didn't have pain or a smell or temperature. I don't think my twins could implant properly, which is why they had so many placental problems.

I think you have had damage to your uterus, either by uterine surgery, there are certain infections(herpes group B, varicella zoster, human herpes 6&7) and pelvic infection(chlamydia, gonorrhea, gardnerella vaginalis, bacteroides, streptococcus b, forgetting to remove a tampon). The other thing I would consider is a retroverted uterus, leads to painfull menustration, higher chance of pelvic infection & endometriosis. Other uterine problems are fibroids, uterine synechia, lesions, tumors, ovarian cysts.

A friend of mines child was born at approx 34 weeks, weighing 1.7kg. He has occasional convulsions (she has to be carefull of putting him in cold water)and is not growing very well(both his parents are large build). She has lesions in her ovary.

I hope this might be of some help


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## MsBlack

A&A--

thanks for pointing this out--from another Leftie!









After all, the brain's cross wiring being what it is....we Lefties are born in our Right Minds







And most often, due to living in a Right handed world, we are forced to learn to do a lot of things with our right hands...stimulating development of the left brain....leaving us in the end, in our Whole Minds, not just stuck in one side or the other! Just why that is considered a form of 'brain damage', I'll never understand.


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## BugMacGee

Did they check for CMV?


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BugMacGee* 
Did they check for CMV?

What is CMV?


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## BugMacGee

http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic504.htm


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## That Is Nice

Thanks for the info. I had pretty thorough pre-conception testing. I'm not sure if I was tested for that or not, but I'll look into it. Thanks!


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## BugMacGee

We often test our IUGR babies for CMV. It's a urine test collected over 3 days.


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## carmenfr

Hi

I was just wondering if you were on a progestin only pill or contraceptive or if you took an emergency contraceptive pill (immediately) before you fell pregnant?
Progestin only contraceptive
implants norplant & jadelle, intrauterine systems (progestasert&mirena)
Cerazette, implanon, depo-provera and Noristerat.

As these could have an effect on the endometrium, which cld affect implantation (theoretcially it says here).

i don't have the web address but if you look under google
clinical significance of subchorionic & retroplacental hematomas detected in first trimester (sometimes there is no vaginal bleeding, its behind the myometrium)
by american college of obstetricians & gynae - elsevier
implantation problems - placenta abruption, placental separation abnormalities, IUGR, more operative delivery from fetal distress, placental insufficiency, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes & meconium-stained amniotic fluid

cheers


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## That Is Nice

Quote:


Originally Posted by *carmenfr* 
Hi

I was just wondering if you were on a progestin only pill or contraceptive or if you took an emergency contraceptive pill (immediately) before you fell pregnant?
Progestin only contraceptive
implants norplant & jadelle, intrauterine systems (progestasert&mirena)
Cerazette, implanon, depo-provera and Noristerat.

As these could have an effect on the endometrium, which cld affect implantation (theoretcially it says here).

i don't have the web address but if you look under google
clinical significance of subchorionic & retroplacental hematomas detected in first trimester (sometimes there is no vaginal bleeding, its behind the myometrium)
by american college of obstetricians & gynae - elsevier
implantation problems - placenta abruption, placental separation abnormalities, IUGR, more operative delivery from fetal distress, placental insufficiency, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes & meconium-stained amniotic fluid

cheers

No. Never did any of those things. Thanks for the information.


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