One of Baby’s Legs Thicker Than the Other

[Anonymous]

One of my newborn’s legs is noticeably thicker than the other, especially in the thigh area. Her pediatrician noticed it on the first visit and said that it could possibly be caused by her position in the womb, but it can also be an indicator of some more serious medical issues. Of course I googled it and see the primary concern seems to be a highly elevated risk of childhood cancer. Has anyone else experienced this? Did it resolve with time? Was your pediatrician concerned, and did your child have extra screenings due to this?

[Anonymous]

My now 7 year old nephew had/has it. No negative side effects but so far does need to go for cancer screenings every six months. The thing I remember most was as a baby one pant leg always rode up his leg because sizing was off. I’ll ask my SIL for more info!

[Anonymous]

PP here, didn't get a lot of information from SIL. He did need to see an orthopedist, had a cat scan, ultrasound, I think they did genetic studies too. He had some difficulty walking in the beginning, maybe he was 16 months when he started and he had a really janky crawl...like up on all fours crawl. Climbing was hard at first too. But he's not super active in sports (for a 7 year old I guess!) is a super fast runner, loves skiing, biking, etc. I remember my mom saying years ago that he had to go for a cancer screening every six months, but both my mom and SIL are now evasive about exactly what--they don't like sharing medical stuff for some reason.

All this to say, I know there was some panic initially but my nephew is totally fine now, so I don't think even the elevated risk of cancer is much to really worry about. Maybe just be prepared to jump on PT if you notice late milestones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here, didn't get a lot of information from SIL. He did need to see an orthopedist, had a cat scan, ultrasound, I think they did genetic studies too. He had some difficulty walking in the beginning, maybe he was 16 months when he started and he had a really janky crawl...like up on all fours crawl. Climbing was hard at first too. But he's not super active in sports (for a 7 year old I guess!) is a super fast runner, loves skiing, biking, etc. I remember my mom saying years ago that he had to go for a cancer screening every six months, but both my mom and SIL are now evasive about exactly what--they don't like sharing medical stuff for some reason.

All this to say, I know there was some panic initially but my nephew is totally fine now, so I don't think even the elevated risk of cancer is much to really worry about. Maybe just be prepared to jump on PT if you notice late milestones.

Thanks, appreciate the info.