One thing that might shake people up a bit when going for an ultrasound is seeing a baby with big nose.
Believe it or not, you are not the only parent-to-be seeing a big nose on the screen, not that there is anything wrong with a big nose.
The truth is babies’ noses tend to look distorted when seen on an ultrasound.
The following is going to help you understand everything there is to know about ultrasounds, your baby’s nose, and other stuff in between.
Okay, What is the Deal with the 3D Ultrasound?
To understand why certain features like the nose may be distorted, you need some background information on 3D ultrasounds.
In short, 3D ultrasound uses sound waves and technology that can read those sound waves to create an image.
It has been possible to capture images of an infant for some time, but most of those images were 2D.
The two-dimensional images were only able to capture surface images rather than a full-bodied image.
This is part of the reason ultrasound technicians had to chase the baby around the womb to find him or her.
The 3D ultrasound allows the technician to capture images at three 90 degree planes. The device sends off sound waves and listens to the bounce-back.
The waves are directed towards the baby at different angles, which allows the device to create a full-bodied image from those sound waves.
You need to learn about the sound wave process to understand why features may be a bit distorted during an ultrasound viewing.
In order to create an image, the sound waves need to bounce off a number of surfaces.
The issue is some of your baby’s features are small and smooth, which means the sound waves do not have much to bounce off of.
The technology has to compensate because it does not have enough surfaces to bounce off, and it ends up broadening small features.
In many cases, the feature that is enlarged causes you to wonder if you’re going to have a baby with a big nose.
This distortion may be unfortunate because you aren’t getting an exact image, which is probably what parents want, but the technology will get better with time.
Plus, it is good to remember that 3D ultrasounds are also used to help detect abnormalities in developing fetuses
like a cleft palate or clubfoot, and what parent doesn’t want to ensure his or her baby is as healthy as can be?
Seeing your baby in this form also allows you to bond with your baby more strongly, and that is great, too.
Baby With Big Nose! Is it Normal?
Okay, so the ultrasound may give you a slightly distorted image, but that does not mean there isn’t any truth to what you are seeing.
It may be surprising to hear, but a lot of new parents are shocked by their baby’s appearance when the baby is actually born for a number of reasons.
The following are some shocking things people see:
- The baby’s head may be shaped oddly, which makes it easier for him or her to pass through the birth canal.
- You will likely not see much hair, or hair will fall out soon after birth.
- The uterus is kind of crowded, so you might see folded ears that should unfold on their own.
- Your baby’s eyes may be swollen due to the pressure within the uterus, but this should subside.
- Scrapes and bruises are common with babies after going through the birthing process.
These are just some of the surprises parents notice when seeing their child for the first time, but the one you may be interested in is the nose.
As mentioned earlier, there’s a lot of pressure in the uterus, and it could lead to a distortion of your baby’s nose.
A newborn’s nose may be pushed flat in the uterus.
Sometimes, the nose is squeezed during the delivery, but the body of a baby was made to handle these types of pressures.
The baby’s nose should return to normal within a week though some babies may take a little longer.
Some parents worry that their babies are having a hard time breathing because of this, but that is not the case.
Babies naturally have a hard time breathing the first few weeks, but things should get better for your baby soon enough.
The baby’s nasal passages are simply too small right now, but they will grow rapidly, so be patient.
Of course, if you have any questions, ask your health care professional or a pediatrician to be clear about what your newborn is going through.
Do Babies Noses Change Later On?
This is a bigger question than you might imagine. A baby’s nose actually does change as he or she grows older.
Some major changes happen when you are small, and the nose returns to its normal shape after being pressed in the uterus.
This change comes within a few weeks, but you can monitor it with the help of your health care provider.
Still, your baby’s nose will continue to change. Everyone’s nose changes as time moves on.
The reason these changes manifest deals with a number of things, such as the soft tissue in the nose, the muscles, skin, and cartilage.
The nose adjusts to these changes, which is why its appearance changes over time.
The growth of the nose has been examined for some time.
It seems the growth rate of the nasal septum reaches its maximum rate when the baby is born but slows down as he or she ages.
Now, this septum will continue to grow, but it slows down significantly at around 20.
The dimensions of the cartilaginous reach maximum growth at age two but slow down dramatically after that.
In essence, you are going to see a number of changes near the beginning of your baby’s life, but it should subside given enough time.
Now, the changes are not too drastic, but there is no doubt that by the time one reaches the elderly stage of life the nose is going to be at its biggest form.
The reality is a baby’s appearance is going to change in various ways
which is a good reason to take pictures so that you get an opportunity to see those changes play out as time goes by.
The reason you are seeing these changes is because babies have a different face ration than adults.
When a baby is small, he or she is going to have more brain than face.
The nose is going to grow but so is the mouth and the child’s overall facial structure.
In essence, your baby’s face will get longer, and it will slowly become bigger than the head.
Rhino-Surgery in Children
For the most part, seeing a baby with big nose on the ultrasound is nothing to worry about, but sometimes it could be pointing to something else.
A child could suffer minor injuries to the nasal skeleton. This could happen in the womb but could also happen afterward.
Generally, it is better to address these injuries right away. For example, an injury could lead to a child forming a nasal malformation.
This is one reason injuries, especially when the child is young, need to be addressed as soon as possible to avert these types of issues.
There are times when the malformation cannot be stopped, which can sometimes lead families to consider something like rhino-surgery, especially if the malformation is causing other issues like the following:
- The child is having trouble breathing
- Your child’s appearance is severely distorted
Keep in mind that this type of surgery is not recommended for children but for kids who have already gone through the adolescent growth spurt.
A surgery before then could hinder development when the time comes. Besides, this type of surgery should be something your child gets an opportunity to be involved in.
As you can see, you cannot take injuries to the nose or the nose area lightly because it could mess with your child’s ability to develop naturally.
Keep in mind that babies and small children are prone to accidents involving their noses.
Babies are learning about movement, so it is easy to see why they might get in accidents.
Children, on the other, are risk takers, and that could put them in danger of hurting their nose.
Now, you know more about your baby’s nose, and it all started because you were worried about your baby with big nose on ultrasound.
Next time a parent-to-be asks you something like, “are babies born with big noses?” You can say babies can be born with swollen noses, but the swelling should go down.
You can say with confidence that the ultrasound image may distort the baby’s features and show a baby with big nose.
As mentioned earlier, a big nose is not a bad thing. Big noses can be cute as a button just like smaller ones.
The important thing to do is to make sure your baby is developing as he or she should and that you do your best to help your child feel content with his or her appearance.
Focusing on a particular part of a child’s appearance could make your child feel insecure, and that is something you do not want.
Be sure to talk to your health care professional or your pediatrician about any other questions you may have about ultrasounds and how they affect image.
You can also ask about any other nose-related questions you may have.
You have more resources available beyond the Internet, like your nurses, doctors, and even midwives, so don’t be afraid to take advantage.
Additional information:
- Everything You Need to Know About Blister on Baby Bottom Lip
- Your Breastfed Baby Urine Smells Strong? (Here is When It’s Time To Call a Doctor)
- Avoid Fetal “Keepsake” Images, Heartbeat Monitors
- Are Ultrasound Tests Safe?
- New Dimensions in Prenatal Ultrasound: 3D and 4D
Photo & Video credits: Life News, Precious Glimpse.
