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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Toddler has a VERY large head

44 replies

pixelpeeper · 11/05/2012 07:53

Hi All

Looking for some advice or experience here - I have a 2.5 year old son, who has a REALLY big head.
At 6 months old he was on the 75th centile, but I have recently plotted him on the chart at 140th centile, if such a thing existed!
His circumference is 54cm.

I have taken him to the GP and the GP has referred him for a brain scan - obviously I am hoping they just turn around and say "yep, he sure does have a big head, but that's it", but I am wondering what else could it be? GP mentioned hydrocephalus but looking at wikipedia he doesn't really match any of the other 'symptoms'.

Anyone else have a big headed baby?!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MoaningMinnieRisesAgain · 11/05/2012 08:01

DS is 3.4 and this winter was wearing a Next hat for age 7 -10. His head is huge and a bit uneven/bumpy, not like a flat head. Had a chat to the HV who reminded me in runs in families, do you or his dad have a big head? I haven't got him seen as he is fine, but I might try to measure it later!

Graciescotland · 11/05/2012 08:06

I had friends whose toddler had a big head. Gp flagged up a concern, there was ascan, then they saw a pead who told them they also had big heads and he was fine.

strawberrypenguin · 11/05/2012 08:06

Is his head a normal shape and just big or is it long front to back?

Scootergrrrl · 11/05/2012 08:10

My son, who is just two, has an enormous head. He joke that he is, in fact, the reincarnation of Frank Sidebottom. The doctor keeps measuring him, looking a bit bemused and asking us to come back in three months. His dad has a big head too, as does his grandad.

MoaningMinnieRisesAgain · 11/05/2012 08:16

Ok just measured DS, 53cm no idea what centile. Mine is 57!

Original poster

pixelpeeper · 11/05/2012 11:16

ok, feeling more normal now. His head is 'normal' shape, but he has a big spam forehead and it just goes back...and back...lol!

Me and DH have kind of normal sized heads - I'm 57 as well - my 2 other boys have 'big' heads (baby is 98th centile, 4 year old is also off the chart) but my 2 year old is massive.

Good to read it's not uncommon though!! I feel a bit reassured! Beginning to think the WHO head circumference guidelines are designed to put the fear in us

OP posts:

kw13 · 11/05/2012 11:35

For my DS (now 5.5) I recently bought an adult sized bicycle helmet. He has always had a huge head - had a large head on the scan before he was born! Mine is a normal size, but DH has a large one too.

forevergreek · 11/05/2012 11:43

54 doesn't sound that big, its the general size of a child's helmet

MoaningMinnieRisesAgain · 11/05/2012 11:45

Found the WHO chart - DS is above the 97th centile. He is pretty average sized generally for his age.

DD is dead on the 50th centile, but very small (100cm, less than 15kg, 5yo) for her age so possibly a bit bigger than you would expect? Very interesting.

Pippinella · 11/05/2012 11:47

I'm glad they're scanning him. It shouldn't be ignored or overlooked.

Is he well in himself? Eyes ok?

5318008 · 11/05/2012 11:47

one of mine has an enormous head

when he was a toddler he was like a boiled egg on legs, didn't help that he was a baldy for aaaages too, sigh (now a pre teen and wearing pretty much adult size hats, always v neck tops as round necks No Good)

no concerns from GP, even though he was wearing hats for much older children

you are right to get any concerns checked out

desertgirl · 11/05/2012 11:50

mine were about the 99th centile as babies, probably still are - but I have a big head (can't get hats to fit :( ) as do half of my family - never any sign of any issues. Have to buy hats for much older kids like 5318008 though.

Original poster

pixelpeeper · 11/05/2012 11:51

He seems ok, but he has been in and out of hospitals for years cos of poor eyesight, poor hearing etc, so it's hard to know what is normal vs what is normal for him.

He's 90th centile for weight and off the chart for height, so just hoping he's a big lad and it's nothing more ominous!

OP posts:

Pippinella · 11/05/2012 12:06

I really hope so too pixelpeeper. Do you mind me asking what is wrong with hie eyesight? (Its my area)

Original poster

pixelpeeper · 11/05/2012 12:20

he used to have a lazy eye, blocked ducts and a squint and was found to be short sighted when they were investigating his other issues. No need for glasses yet, but he will do.

OP posts:

bishboschone · 11/05/2012 12:23

Pipinella .. Are you an optician / ophthalmologist ?

Pippinella · 11/05/2012 12:23

Thanks for sharing. Shortsightedness usually means bigger than usual eyes as well. Maybe he's just going to be a big strapping lad! Keep us updated x

Methe · 11/05/2012 12:26

My DS was investigated for hydrocephalus when he was a baby as he had a massive head but he doesn't have it. He's 3 now and still has a big head but my Mum went thought thing with my Brother so we think we've probably all got big heads.

In the nicest possible way...Have you got a big head *pixel?

HuggyPomBear · 11/05/2012 14:02

I work somewhere where hats are worn regularly and happen to have worked in the area where hats are given out. Women average 55-56 cm. anything below 53 is (jokingly) referred to as pinhead and anything above 58 mahoosive heeeed. So, if you are a 57 then you are at the bigger end of the average female head. Men tend to be around 57-58, although they tend to have a bigger range of average and anything up to 63 while large is common. I have seen someone sporting a 69cm hat. He had a narrow face and head and the skull extended back an unbelievable amount.

The upshot of my rambling is if you have a slightly bigger than average head and your DH does, then in all likelihood your DS will too. Also, as the mother of a large headed DD, I think that, like puppies, children's bodies grow disproportionately and often they sport big hands, long long legs and a large head while everything else does not grow as uh uh then catches up later. DD's head was on the 2nd centime when she was born and within the first 6 weeks shot up to the 81st. Now at 19 months, the rest of her is catching up, so her head is actually on the 50th centile.

Noticed my iPad wants to change centile to centime.......

MadameChinLegs · 11/05/2012 14:04

My DNephew had and still has, a massive head. To the point where, at age 8, his mother can't even shoehorn an adult mans hat onto his head.

He is absoloutley fine, development wise, and in fact if you look at his wrists and ankles, they are really large, which suggests to us that he simply has a large skeleton.

Methe · 11/05/2012 14:10

I've just measured my Ds's and it's 53 ( he's 3+5 but was 3mo prem). Mines 57.

huggy I love that we have someone on MN who is an expert in anything! :)

ImBetterThanYou · 11/05/2012 14:19

The only thing I've heard of being related to an unusually large head is macrocephally, but I'm not sure if that brings about any problems though IYSWIM or if it is just the medical word used. DS has a big head too and I have to buy hats etc in a bigger size but is small too so his clothes are in a smaller size, I'm hoping that things will all even out once he's stopped growing though, I'm sure your DS will be fine too :)

MoaningMinnieRisesAgain · 11/05/2012 14:22

If mine is 57 and on the slightly larger side of average for women perhaps I have a proportionally big head too, given that I am a total shortarse at 5ft and a fag end.

ImBetterThanYou · 11/05/2012 14:22

Sorry just noticed you'd mentioned hydrocephalus in your op, is that similar to macrocephally? My stepdaughter has microcephalic head too and I know of one other boy with the opposite, a macrocephalic head.

HuggyPomBear · 11/05/2012 15:29

Macrocephalic head just means big head. There are syndromes etc associated with big heads but are often noticeably debilitating. I think if children are develops normally, given the symptoms of hydrocephally and other big head syndromes are pretty horrid, I am surprised some GPs refer.

My DD was in hospital a few weeks ago. She had a nasty case of rotavirus, so we thought we'd make ourselves even more thoroughly uncomfortable and miserable by taking her to hospital to be ignored..... Anyway, the next morning I was desperate to get her home and asked someone who looked like a janitor (odd royal blue nylon dirty trousers and top, with body warmer on and trainers) if she knew where a doctor might be. Turned out she was a doctor. I said no one had seen DD for hours and we'd been ignored while she screamed in discomfort and pain. The doc gave me the brush off telling me rounds would be some time later (helpful) then randomly came into the room and examined DD stating that she couldn't fined a reason for the screaming ( how about D&V?!). Then said that didn't DD have a large head. I said, no, it's on the 50th centile. She seemed to ignore me and banged on about how big DD's head was. I said how it had been small at birth, grew rapidly, and now the growth had steadied off.

She sarcastically and patronisingly told me that there's no way DD's head could have shrunk. (I hadn't suggested it had). When she kept going on, I said, ok then, if you think this is a problem, what are you going to do about it? Oh nothing she said. You should see your GP. Helpful lady. I have ignored her as DD is happy, developing normally and able to get her head through to fit most t shirts . Needless to say I was very angry with the doc.

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