Why Does My Baby Look Weird in Ultrasound

5 Reasons Your Ultrasound Might Not Look How You Expect

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on August 12, 2021

A less-than-sweet face on the sonogram doesn't mean your sweetie will arrive looking the same way. Here's why an ultrasound can sometimes take a turn for the weird.

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When you go in for your ultrasound anatomy scan, aka the first time you see your baby developed beyond a gestational sac with a heartbeat, you probably have images in your head of a perfect button nose, pudgy cheeks and a sweet smile — just like how she might look at birth. But the reality is most ultrasounds taken between 18 and 22 weeks, even 3D ones, don't come out that way.

So if you're an expecting parent thrown off by the images you see on the screen, first know that you're certainly not alone. Many parents have posted online about seeing a strange or just plain creepy face at the anatomy scan. And second, several perfectly normal reasons can explain why the sonogram turned out that way. Here's why the ultrasound might not show your baby looking like a little angel just yet.

Does baby really look like the 3D ultrasound?

3D ultrasounds attempt to show facial features instead of just a two-dimensional (cross-sectional) view of your womb, but they still rely on soundwaves to piece together an image — which isn't always perfect.

These soundwaves bounce off internal organs and fluids, and a computer converts the echoes into a 2D image. Combining multiple 2D images taken at different angles then creates that third dimension, but the ultrasound doesn't always get an accurate read on some of the surfaces.

In other words, it's not like a camera on your phone. So while 3D ultrasounds can serve as a helpful diagnostic tool in some scenarios, you can potentially chalk up any strange faces you see to the way the technology works.

Other reasons your baby's face looks weird on an ultrasound

Regardless of the type of ultrasound you get, sometimes the images can turn out a little strange. No cause for alarm! Here are a few perfectly normal reasons your baby's nose, face or head will look different than you expected.

Baby is still developing body fat.

At this stage in pregnancy, your baby's skin still looks transparent since she has so little body fat. Because there's not as much covering the bones, her face might look more angular.

Baby's face is turned toward the uterine wall.

If your baby is facing away from your belly during an ultrasound, the sound waves might reveal only two-thirds or half of her face, which can look a little odd.

Baby's face is covered by another body part.

Similar to what'll happen if her face is turned, a face partially covered by an arm or another limb could also look strange.

Baby's soft spot is really big.

The soft spot that your baby has at birth exists during pregnancy too, and you might actually see this gap in the skull during your first anatomy scan. It can look like a large, black spot on the top of her head and slit down to her nose.

So there you have it: A creepy face at 20 weeks is almost never cause for concern. The fetus at this stage is still growing into a cute-as-a-button baby, but still has more than four months to go.

That said, ask questions and voice any concerns before you leave your ultrasound appointment. Being reassured that your baby is fine will help you sleep better (no matter how scary your sonogram might have been) so you can go back to dreaming of big eyes and tiny toddler toes.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author ofWhat to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

• What To Expect When You're Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
• WhatToExpect.com, Ultrasound During Pregnancy, April 2021.
• WhatToExpect.com, 3D and 4D Ultrasounds During Pregnancy, February 2021.
• WhatToExpect.com, Level 2 Ultrasound: The 20-Week Anatomy Scan, April 2019.
• WhatToExpect.com, Your Baby's Soft Spot: What Are Fontanelles and When Do They Close?, July 2021.
• WhatToExpect.com, When Babies Start Growing Hair, Skin and Nails, June 2021.
• WhatToExpect.com, How Many Weeks, Months and Trimesters in a Pregnancy?, June 2020.
• Peter Doubilet, M.D., Phd, Radiologist, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.

Why Does My Baby Look Weird in Ultrasound

Source: https://www.whattoexpect.com/wom/pregnancy/0813/reasons-your-ultrasound-might-not-look-how-you-expect#:~:text=Baby's%20face%20is%20turned%20toward,can%20look%20a%20little%20odd.

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