Our little girl had her 6 month checkup today and we were told that her head circumference has only increased by 1cm in 2 months is this something to be worried about?. Her length and weight growth are increasing fine though.
2006-11-21 22:08:43 · 8 answers · asked by golden tigress 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
i have just checked the growth charts in my baby's health book (australian growth chart) and that seems pretty normal - there is a pretty wide range of what is normal growth because baby's all grow at different rates & have growth spurts at different stages. dont be afraid to ask questions when at your check ups the staff/doctors are there to give you as much information as you need.
2006-11-21 22:41:37 · answer #1 · answered by chocaholic 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First, always be prepared to get a second opinion, then ask yourself the question, do you or your husband or both of you have smaller than average head sizes as your baby's head size is a reflection of her genetic inheritance. A gauge of this is hat size.
A less common problem is a condition in which the bony plates of the skull have closed too early. You can often feel a bony ridge on the baby's head where the bones have fused. Many times, the baby's head shape and facial features are also noticeably out of alignment. This can be corrected by surgery, which would ideally happen before 6 months of age in order to avoid restricting brain growth. If this is the case, bring this to your baby's doctor's attention.
The worst reason, and thankfully the least likely, is that the baby's brain is not growing well. This is true for babies with genetic syndromes, birth asphyxia, cerebral palsy, and a wide range of disorders. It is most unlikely this is the case with your baby given a lack of concern by the baby's doctor who would have carefully evaluated for these problems.
Your best guide to whether or not to worry is your baby's behavior. If you have a lively little girl who smiles often, has lots of awake time, is not excessively crying and irritable, follows you with her eyes, turns to your voice, feeds well, and moves both her arms and legs vigorously and equally well, and sleeps well for at least one 4-5 hour period at night, you really have a healthy girl regardless of what the measurements are. If any of these are not true for your daughter, then make an appointment with the pediatrician for a visit to discuss your concerns and to request re-evaluation of her growth and development. Don't wait for her next check up.
2006-11-22 06:25:32 · answer #2 · answered by lindakflowers 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
mabye and mabye not..they say a baby grows in spurts so checking like that may not be accurate, they watch the growth curve so if that is normal then it is not a need to worry, mabye her head grew excessively at first and is now slowing down, that is why they need to look at the curve not neccessarily the little segments along the curve alone. My baby did not gain any weight for one month, then just before the doctors exam she gained a lb in one week and it all evened out on the growth chart. So it may not be something to be alarmed about yet.
2006-11-22 13:38:35 · answer #3 · answered by jennyve25 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the whole percentile thing can cause undue worry. these are textbook averages and each child is different. if there could be a problem, the dr should have mentioned something. people always comment to me that my 5 month old is so tiny. me and her dad are both petite, and so are our families, so i wouldn't expect her to grow like an amazon. look at your families and ask them how their kids ranked, it should be relatvely close to your baby's growth. if you're still worried, i'd call the dr and talk to him about it
2006-11-22 08:48:32 · answer #4 · answered by Missy W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes because they baby moves so much, they can get an inaccurate reading... not sure if this was the case... but see how it is next time, and then see what they say. I think they would have told you if you really need to worry... but she sounds like she is growing fine other than that... so just see what they say next time, and demand they tell you more info next time.
2006-11-22 06:16:05 · answer #5 · answered by m930 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My mother is a family doctor, including our family doctor, and she said that your daughter might just be very petite, she may (in a VERY rare case) have seckle syndrome, or some other syndrome that is not that extreme. But hey-no worries.
Simply voice your concerns with your little one's doctor, and see what comes of it.
hope it goes well
luv!
2006-11-22 06:23:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
if she is fine otherwise i wouldnt worry about it too much right now.
2006-11-22 06:46:06 · answer #7 · answered by sweetre2 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no
2006-11-22 06:16:48 · answer #8 · answered by Daniel S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋