

Instead, your doctor will help you manage the symptoms that your child has. Genetic conditions like this don't have a cure. It causes developmental delays, learning and intellectual disabilities, and social-emotional difficulties. Fragile X syndrome happens because a person's body doesn't produce a particular protein needed for brain development.
BABIES HEAD SHAPES WHEN TO WORRY SKIN
People who have it have a significant risk of basal cell skin cancer as young adults.įragile X syndrome. Gorlin syndrome causes benign tumor growth. Also known as basal cell nevus syndrome, this condition results in a large head, distinctive facial features, and pitted skin on the hands and feet. People with Cowden syndrome may have a high risk of certain cancers later in life. This condition results in non-cancerous growths that appear on a person's body. People with this condition also tend to have developmental delays.Ĭowden syndrome. In addition to macrocephaly, the shape of the head is longer than is typical. This condition causes rapid physical growth before birth and for the first several years of life. Sometimes, macrocephaly is a symptom of an underlying genetic condition. Genetic Condition Associated With Macrocephaly Your baby may need surgery to relieve the pressure and reduce the risk of lasting brain damage. The pressure of the fluid can lead to brain injuries. There are times when hydrocephalus is dangerous. Still, your doctor will want to follow up with you regularly to keep an eye on your baby. Doctors call it "benign extra-axial collections of infancy" or "benign external hydrocephalus." Children typically outgrow the condition by early childhood. Sometimes, when this happens to babies, it's not a problem. Hydrocephalus is sometimes called "water on the brain." It refers to a build of excess cerebrospinal fluid around the brain. After that, they may need to do blood tests or genetic testing to reach a final diagnosis. They will use imagining tests such as an MRI or CT scan to answer these questions. If something is wrong, doctors will first need to determine if the size of the head is due to an enlarged brain, excess fluid in the skull, or an overgrowth of the skull bones. High-pitched cry like the baby is in pain or discomfort.If your baby has specific physical or behavioral symptoms, the doctor may be more concerned. The doctor will probably ask you to come back in a few months or if any other symptoms arise. If everything is fine, there is nothing you need to do.


The doctor will also check the baby's head, particularly the fontanelles (soft spots that are normal for babies). One of the most common reasons for macrocephaly is something that doctors call "benign familial macrocephaly." In other words, big heads run in your family.Ī doctor might determine that a baby's big head is inherited by measuring the heads of the parents.

Not all cases of macrocephaly are a sign that something is wrong. Should I Worry if My Baby Has a Big Head? Your pediatrician may have you see a neurologist if your child has macrocephaly. In other cases, it's something that they notice when they measure the baby at routine exams during the baby's first year of life. Sometimes, doctors detect macrocephaly during an ultrasound before the baby is born. This means that the baby's head is bigger than 98% percent of other babies of the same age. The simple definition of the word macrocephaly is "large head." Doctors apply that diagnosis when a baby's head size is in the 98th percentile. Learn more about macrocephaly and what it means. In rare cases, however, it can be an indication that your baby has other health conditions. The medical term for a large head is "macrocephaly." Most of the time, it isn't a serious condition, so parents don't need to worry about it. But what does it mean when a baby has a head that is larger than average? Baby head measurements are just as important for tracking growth as height and weight are. But they may not expect that doctors will pull out a tape measure to check the size of a new baby's head. Parents of new babies expect that pediatricians will check their length and weight.
