20 week anomoly scan, worries after vitamin A consumption

[Elainebaa]

Hello
We went for our 20 week scan today and everything came back normal except they reported that the face and lips could not be seen clearly. I inadvertently consumed some vitamin A in the early months of pregnancy and I am concerned about the effects this may have on my baby's facial development. I expected them to scan for things like cleft palette and other facial abnormalities but when we questioned the midwife she said that if they cannot see the face clearly it's their policy to report as such.
All I am after is some re-assurance, should I go back and request a further scan?
Thanks
First time Mum and Dad to be

[noblegiraffe]

You can ask for another scan but they might say no. When they couldn't do a nuchal fold measurement at my 12 week scan due to poor positioning, I was told if I still wanted it done I had to go private.

[Worley]

if they write that in the report you should be offered a repeat scan to complete checks. can I ask what size you are? it's very hard to clearly see lips and nose on slightly larger patients and is a common problem whiskey trying to evaluate this area. or was it positional ? I.e was baby face down and burying its face?
your vit a intake is HIGHLY unlikely to affect that.

[Elainebaa]

hi i am a size 10/12 pre pregnancy which i do not think is too big. i watched the scan intensely but at no point during the scan did the mid wife suggest she could not see the face. after we left the room i read the notes which stated the face and lips could not be seen. we called the mid wife team who suggested we contact the scanning department again. we couldn't get an answer on the phone so we returned to speak face to face. when we questioned she stated its not their policy to check the face. i feel it is misleading to state something which could mean something or nothing. And we were advised to get a private scan which i feel is very poor service. thanks all for responding.

[Elainebaa]

i ate haggis regularly which contains pork / beef / lambs livers and also used hair care products daily which contained vitamin A additives. my partner thinks i am over reacting.

[Worley]

ok so this was a private scan? then they may not have to offer you a rescan. if an nhs scan is not completed first time you are offered a rescan. if its not completed the second time the drs have to request another scan. The face and lips are a national requirement to see. if they couldn't see it clearly the scanner is covering themselves by stating they didn't get a clear view. Who advised you to have a private anomaly scan ?

[Worley]

fetalanomaly.screening.nhs.uk/leafletsforparents have a look at the mid pregnancy / anomaly scan leaflet. Under the FASP it is policy in England to check face and lips. if your in Wales or Scotland they have different standards. if your not happy get in touch with the superintendent Sonographer at the hospital who has overall responsibility.

[unexpectediteminbaggingarea]

well, the hair care products are irrelevant, so don't worry about them.

How often is 'regularly' eating haggis? It's unlikely to have done any harm, honestly. Bear in mind that not so long ago pregnant women were advised to eat liver because of its iron content.

You could ask for a copy of their ultrasound policy to confirm whether they should actually check the face or not, and take it from there.

[Giddypants]

Try not to worry you need to consume a lot of liver/vit a for it to cause problems which are usually heart defects, and very early on in pregnancy around 4-6 weeks.
I think they say no more than 3000 iu/day
Will they offer you a 4d scan to check

[Elainebaa]

hi all managed to get a private scan and all is well thanks