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The child’s head does not grow: why slowly, what to do
Why is the circumference of a child’s head measured at every appointment with a pediatrician in the first year of a child’s life? This is one of the indicators that makes it clear to the doctor whether the baby is developing correctly. There are certain norms that correspond to each month of a baby’s life.
The child’s head does not grow or grows slowly
At birth, the head is 2 cm larger than the chest in circumference. It usually does not have quite the correct shape, and may be slightly deformed. In babies born naturally, it is distinguished by elongation – this is the result of passing through the birth canal, when the bones of the skull are superimposed on each other less traumatic. This is normal and within a couple of months the shape of the head will even out.
If the child’s head does not grow, the reason for this may be a pathology of brain development.
The head circumference of a newborn should normally be within 34-36 cm. At first, up to 3 months of age, it will increase by about 1,5 cm per month. Then growth will go slowly – an increase of 0,5-1 cm will become the norm.In six months, a circle equal to 43 cm is considered the norm.
You should not measure the child’s head yourself, and after the wrong result, torment yourself with guesses and panic. Entrust this to the specialists – the indicators obtained during routine examinations will be enough.
What to do if the head grows poorly
There is a congenital pathology in which the child’s head is abnormally small – microcephaly. It is manifested by the small size of the brain and the lack of its growth. Such a pathology can be caused by severe infections, intoxication, genetic failure transferred during pregnancy.
The disease is characterized by characteristic features:
- The circumference is more than 2 cm less than normal.
- The facial part is much larger than the occipital.
- The fontanelle is too small.
- The nape has no natural roundness, it is flat.
With microcephaly, the feet and hands also develop poorly, and all parts of the face may have anomalies. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a specialist after a complete examination of the child’s body. It can be determined immediately after birth or during the first year of life.
Over time, the patient’s head does not grow, as does his brain. Whereas the face develops normally. As they grow older, this pathology becomes more and more noticeable. Underdevelopment of the brain affects intellectual abilities, the formation of speech and everyday skills. Severe cases can be accompanied by paralysis of the arms and legs.
There are situations when the brain grows normally, but the skull does not. This is due to the premature fusion of the bones of the skull. Then surgery is performed to open the cranial sutures. It gives a good chance of recovery.