Increase in head circumference

Thanks. I think Justin has a big head, but not really huge. Just a bit
above average. Mine, I don't know honestly. I think his ped. would rather
just get him tested to be sure, not that he thinks anything is really
wrong
but if there was, it would certainly be better to find out now.

Sure! I do remember they sent him to Duke to get checked out cos our
husbands were away at training in CA together and they wouldn't let him come
home. But it did end up just being a big head.


He does have a really big head though, and it's bald so it just kind of
magnifies it even more.

Oh this boy has hair to his waist. That doesn't help either - lol.

firedancer623 wrote:
I just returned from Xander's 12 month WBV and as the subject says
- he had a considerable increase in his head circumference - from
the 50th% at 6 mos to 90th% today. Personally, I always thought his
head was on the large side, even before his 6 month check up. I
remember then asking the nurse if it was on the large side even
then and it wasn't. It hasn't grown bigger to *me* and I would
think that I would notice it increasing that much. (apparently not
though)

They've got him sceduled for a CT scan on Thursday but Im of
course, worried nonetheless.

He's actually on target or advanced in all other areas, walking,
talking, etc. Everything else was perfectly normal.

Thoughts?

You should do a search on head circumference and my author name in the
Google archive g.

We went through this with Vernon when he was between 8 months and a little
over a year old. His head started out in the 50th percentile when he was
born and then slowly crept up off the charts. At 8 months, we had an
ultrasound (his fontanel was still open, so it was possible) to rule out
hydrocephalus (that's probably what they're concerned about), which was
negative. A few months later, his head was even *more* off the chart and his
motor development was a little behind, so I had two different pediatricians
begging me to get an MRI (they never suggested a CT scan and everything I
have read says CT scans are not definitive enough for diagnosing problems
related to macrocephaly, BTW--I'd call and ask them why they're doing the CT
scan and not the MRI, were I you!).

I knew *instinctively* that he was fine and just had a big head. I did a lot
of research and determined that my oldest son--who also has a big head, just
like his dad!--would have followed a similar pattern in terms of increase in
head circumference if they'd been using the same growth charts on him as on
Vernon. (Julian's growth was charted using the ones calibrated in 1977 as
opposed to the 2000 charts. The biggest difference in the two sets of charts
turns out to be in head circumference, which started lower and rose more
steeply on the 1977 charts than it does on the 2000 charts.) After poking
around on the Internet, I found a condition called "benign subdural hygromas
of infancy" (I hope I spelled that right!) that seemed to describe Vernon
perfectly--big head, slightly slow motor development, but otherwise normal
baby.

I eventually did agree to the MRI because we had to wait a long time to be
seen by the neurologist and the peds figured the neurologist would just do
an MRI anyway. He had to have general anesthesia for the procedure, which
really had me freaked since I thought the procedure wasn't necessary. The
scan came back showing he had benign subdural hygromas (there's another term
for this which I can't remember now, but I ultimately figured out they were
the same thing). And when we finally got to the neurologist, she looked at
him and asked "So, why the heck are you here?" She told us she wouldn't have
ordered the MRI for him because she could see looking at him and at my
husband that they both just have big heads. I was sort of ****ed about the
whole thing because I wound up having the pay the anesthesiologist (who
turned out not to be on my PPO--like they can't figure out this stuff before
the procedure that was scheduled months in advance and get an
anesthesiologist who *is* covered by my PPO?), but everything worked out
okay in the end.

Honestly, I am not sure why they are pushing for any diagnostic testing in
Xander's case. The only reason my peds begged me to do it was because
Vernon's motor development wasn't completely normal at that point. They both
told me that if he'd been developing perfectly normally, they wouldn't have
been concerned.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Sin (Vernon, 2), Misery (Aurora, 5), and the Rising Son (Julian, 7)

"Bush didn't pee his pants or kill anyone, so my guess is that people will
say [the third debate] was a tie."--Jessi Klein
(http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/...log/index.html)

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

Guess the the movie:

"Look at the size of that cranium! It's like an orange on a toothpick!"

In article , Jason Stanley says...

Guess the the movie:

"Look at the size of that cranium! It's like an orange on a toothpick!"



Alien?

Banty

"Circe" wrote in message
news:mwvdd.34215$bk1.18828@fed1read05...
firedancer623 wrote:
I just returned from Xander's 12 month WBV and as the subject says
- he had a considerable increase in his head circumference - from
the 50th% at 6 mos to 90th% today. Personally, I always thought his
head was on the large side, even before his 6 month check up. I
remember then asking the nurse if it was on the large side even
then and it wasn't. It hasn't grown bigger to *me* and I would
think that I would notice it increasing that much. (apparently not
though)

They've got him sceduled for a CT scan on Thursday but Im of
course, worried nonetheless.

He's actually on target or advanced in all other areas, walking,
talking, etc. Everything else was perfectly normal.

Thoughts?

You should do a search on head circumference and my author name in the
Google archive g.


Wow! I just read your story and the entire thread that went along with it.
Very reassuring

We went through this with Vernon when he was between 8 months and a little
over a year old. His head started out in the 50th percentile when he was
born and then slowly crept up off the charts. At 8 months, we had an
ultrasound (his fontanel was still open, so it was possible) to rule out
hydrocephalus (that's probably what they're concerned about), which was
negative. A few months later, his head was even *more* off the chart and
his
motor development was a little behind, so I had two different
pediatricians
begging me to get an MRI (they never suggested a CT scan and everything I
have read says CT scans are not definitive enough for diagnosing problems
related to macrocephaly, BTW--I'd call and ask them why they're doing the
CT
scan and not the MRI, were I you!).

Hmm. Thanks for that info. Of course now I have no idea why they'd schedule
a CT scan for him. I'll ask the Dr for sure, he goes tomorrow and since it's
not invasive and he only needs to be lightly sedated, I'm just going to go
ahead with it for now. I will definately ask his ped. on Friday when I call
for the results though about why they opted for that instead of an MRI or
ultrasound and see what he says.

Thanks so much for sharing your side. I would be much more worried too, if
he was delayed in any area. He has been walking since 11 mos, has met all
other milestones early, is speaking a few words and making various sounds,
etc. *I* think he's fine.

I'll update though after the scan and we talk to the Dr.

Thanks again

Kari

So I Married an Axe Murderer. Mike Meyers.
My 18 month old by the way apparently has 95 percentile noggin.
Seems more lumpy than big. Oh well. She carries it well.


"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article , Jason Stanley says...

Guess the the movie:

"Look at the size of that cranium! It's like an orange on a toothpick!"



Alien?

Banty