Maybe OT: ? about head circumference

J

JAS

Member
I 'm posting this b/c I don't know who else to ask, I went to Babycenter and there was nothing there but a bunch of Moms obsessing about a few lbs and inches on the growth chart.

My daughter turned a year today and I took her to her checkup. She is in the 50th percentile for weight and height, and her head is at 95%. I expressed concern because this seems out of proportion to me and the Dr said that her head has always been large so there is no need to worry. Being a Mom, of course I worry anyway. I found what I could online and everything said that a dr would be concerned if the child's head is large because it could indicate water on the brain. Other things I've read say don't obsess about a growth chart. She is developing the way she should, seeming to be very healthy and happy. At the risk of sounding shallow, I worry that at the very least she will go through life with this disproportioned head and will be picked on (I'm sensitive to this because I was picked on as a child, and don't want my daughter to have to suffer this). Her pediatrician even said that she could tell by looking at her that she has a "prominent head" and asked if my husband has a big head. I don't think he does, but then, until today, I was completely unaware of my daughter's! Should I ask for a second opinion? Am I obsessing too much? Please, any input would be so appreciated!
Thanks!
Jackie
 
I really wish they would do away with those stupid growth charts -- they're almost as bad as the weight/BMI charts they try to foist on adults. Who are all these "average" children, anyway?

The only thing I know for certain is that as long as your daughter's measurements have remained consistent over time, there's no reason to worry. You say you never noticed until you saw these numbers that your daughter's head was particularly large, which makes me think that she doesn't look particularly odd. And although I have no background in this, if she had hydroencephaly I can't imagine you wouldn't have seen other signs of that too.

Lastly, I don't think there's anything particularly strange about an infant/toddler having a large head. I recall reading somewhere that an infant's head accounts for something like 1/3 of her body weight/mass, whereas of course an adult's is much, much less than that. I know there are several kids in my 22-month old daughter's day care class who seem to me to have disproportionately large heads or faces for their bodies, but I don't notice that in the older preschool kids at her school.

If you're still concerned, I'd ask her doctor for more specific reassurances that things are OK.
 
Try ivillage boards for information. Go to ivillage.com & go to their Boards. There is a play group board for the month your child was born (ex May 2001 Playgroup). You may want to try that.

Windy
 
LOL -- I have to laugh a little because I just had my 2nd sons first ped. visit, and his weight was 90%+, his length was 50-75%, and his head was 98%+. My MIL says that she was told that each of her 4 kids had a big head at birth... a sort of "Not to alarm you, Mrs. H, but your son has a very large head." All of her kids look totally in proportion as adults, and from pictures I've seen, they looked normal as kids.

I think that my 2 year old son has a bigger head than a lot of his 2 year old friends, too... actually, he's just bigger all around... sort of like like a linebacker playing with a bunch of soccer players...

I guess we just have to realize that all of our babies will be different... and the best gift we can give them is a sense of humor... so that, in the event that anyone ever does want to pick on them (oh... that would SO bring out the lioness in me! Don't you pick on my little cub!!!), they can handle it. I have a very cute nephew who is in first grade... who happens to have prominent ears... and I don't know that he's ever been bothered by other kids about it. He's got a very easy going personality, and I'm sure that's part of it, y'know?

I'm babbling now... but I guess I just wanted to let you know that you aren't the only one who worries :)

Susan
 
Hey, thanks, guys!! I feel much better a few days later and your encouragement helps. I actually lost sleep over this thinking that something happened when she fell out of my bed a month ago(I've since stopped letting her sleep in my bed!) She is beautiful to me, and I'm just grateful to have her. I'm going to try not to freak out at her 15 month. Oh, parenting can be tough!

Congrats, Susan, on your new little one. I'm half envious and half not! (SO much work). Best wishes to you!

Thanks again! Jackie
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-17-02 AT 08:15AM (Est)[/font][p]I know exactly how you feel... I had a cesarean w/my first simply because his head was too large to fit and he got stuck... his head at birth was 15", which is pretty much the 100th percentile. He's 3 1/2 now and wears a size 7 adult hat. He's in the 90th percentile for height so he's a little on the tall side, but he is an absolute doll. My daughter has the same prob, she's 18 months.
Here's my son:
la7.jpg


My side of the family tends to have large, square heads. But it's not obvious and they don't look strange. Everybody's different (okay, I admit I have a small twinge of regret for not being able to have normal deliveries b/c of the large heads, but my kids are very healthy, and I am happy with that.)
 
I agree with the others, ignore the growth chart. If he is developing normally and his pediatrician is not concerned, just enjoy him. My daughter has been below zero percentile for weight since she was 6 months old and 10th for height. My family and DH's are tall and my son is 95-100 percentil for height. At my urging, the pediatrician sent my daughter at age 2 to an endocrolonogist for test to make sure she was ok and we were told she is not only very healthy but develmentally doing great. She was just small. She will be three in 2 weeks and weighs only 22 lbs.

On a funny sidenote, I worried when she was born that her ears seemed HUGE. I mean so big that even at 9 months old, they were very prominent. She had no hair until age 18 months and I am not kidding, people would comment on how petite and tiny she was but her big ears. Funny thing is- she actually grew into them. Her ears are no longer out of proportion.

By the way, my 5 1/2 year old son can wear my husbands baseball cap without having to adjust it. We like to say that my son has lots of brains in his head :)
 
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