Short femur length diagnosed in prenatal screening might require intensified pregnancy monitoring

Key clinical point: A short femur (SF) as an isolated symptom in prenatal diagnosis may not require additional surveillance, but intensified pregnancy monitoring may be required if SF is a part of small for gestational age (SGA) baby, an intrauterine growth retardation, or a suspected late growth retardation.

Major finding: Overall, 49.9% of fetuses presented with an isolated SF and 50.1% had additional abnormalities, 42.6% being SGA babies and 57.4% having ≥1 severe malformation. Children with isolated SF vs those with SF and additional abnormalities had a higher live birth rate (97.8% vs 78.9%) and a lower rate of perinatal death (0.1% vs 3.9%), abortions (0.3% vs 9.6%), or spontaneous miscarriages/intrauterine demises (1.8% vs 7.6%).

Study details: Findings are from a retrospective analysis of 1,373 singleton pregnancies with a fetal femoral length of <5^th percentile, detected during the second trimester screening.

Disclosures: The open access funding was enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Friebe‐Hoffmann U et al. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2022 Jan 11. doi: 10.1007/s00404-021-06394-z.

Key clinical point: A short femur (SF) as an isolated symptom in prenatal diagnosis may not require additional surveillance, but intensified pregnancy monitoring may be required if SF is a part of small for gestational age (SGA) baby, an intrauterine growth retardation, or a suspected late growth retardation.

Major finding: Overall, 49.9% of fetuses presented with an isolated SF and 50.1% had additional abnormalities, 42.6% being SGA babies and 57.4% having ≥1 severe malformation. Children with isolated SF vs those with SF and additional abnormalities had a higher live birth rate (97.8% vs 78.9%) and a lower rate of perinatal death (0.1% vs 3.9%), abortions (0.3% vs 9.6%), or spontaneous miscarriages/intrauterine demises (1.8% vs 7.6%).

Study details: Findings are from a retrospective analysis of 1,373 singleton pregnancies with a fetal femoral length of <5^th percentile, detected during the second trimester screening.

Disclosures: The open access funding was enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Friebe‐Hoffmann U et al. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2022 Jan 11. doi: 10.1007/s00404-021-06394-z.

Key clinical point: A short femur (SF) as an isolated symptom in prenatal diagnosis may not require additional surveillance, but intensified pregnancy monitoring may be required if SF is a part of small for gestational age (SGA) baby, an intrauterine growth retardation, or a suspected late growth retardation.

Major finding: Overall, 49.9% of fetuses presented with an isolated SF and 50.1% had additional abnormalities, 42.6% being SGA babies and 57.4% having ≥1 severe malformation. Children with isolated SF vs those with SF and additional abnormalities had a higher live birth rate (97.8% vs 78.9%) and a lower rate of perinatal death (0.1% vs 3.9%), abortions (0.3% vs 9.6%), or spontaneous miscarriages/intrauterine demises (1.8% vs 7.6%).

Study details: Findings are from a retrospective analysis of 1,373 singleton pregnancies with a fetal femoral length of <5^th percentile, detected during the second trimester screening.

Disclosures: The open access funding was enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The authors declared no conflict of interests.

Source: Friebe‐Hoffmann U et al. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2022 Jan 11. doi: 10.1007/s00404-021-06394-z.