What does hyperflexion of the fetal head mean?

Q: My wife is in the 20th week of her pregnancy. The ultrasound test shows that the fetus's neck is hyperflexed. The doctor has suggested a re-scan after two weeks. Is there any severe abnormality in this case? What can be done at this stage? Please advise.

A:Hyperflexion of the fetal head is usually a transient finding on an ultrasound scan and a re-scan after two weeks is likely to confirm this normal variation rather than any disease process. Very rarely, this can be a consequence of a vertebral bony abnormality or a soft tissue contracture in the neck. These two conditions do not have a good outcome after birth, and in the rare event that this be the case, the couple would need to be adequately counselled about future outcomes.