Low weight and small head issues

[Joey246]

I'm kinda freaking myself out, first time mum and natural worrier. My little one is coming up to 19 weeks, we found out at 36 weeks he was small and he came out 5lb8 at 39+1 so full term. He's on the 0.4th centile for weight and length and 2nd for head circumference. He doesn't seem to making any significant catch up.
Paeds have said via tel consultation weeks ago he's unlikely to catch up as his head is on the smaller side, based on current trends he'd be under 5ft3 as an adult and I've read the smaller heads might show development issues and lower cognition. I'm not although I'm not too concerned developmentally at the mo. We can't see paeds due to Covid and I'm basically worrying myself silly currently and blaming myself as he didn't get enough milk early on as my milk took time to come in (apparently less calories then makes him less likely to catch up). Has anyone else got any experience here with a small headed and lower weight but full term baby?

Hi,
I have a baby girl, currently 20 weeks old. She was full term but lost a lot of weight in the first few days due to feeding issues and is now on the 9th centile. He head circumference is on the bottom line, 0.4th centile. I am constantly worried about her small head.
She is doing well though and my HV os not worried as long as her head grows on the line and she meets her milestones. Doesn't help though...
I called my GP about it and they weren't concerned either.
Do small heads run in your family? What is your baboes HC atm? We have just reached 38 cm. Born at 31cm. My head was 32cm when I was born and I was only 2600g full term. Now my head is 56cm and I am 1.65m, so all fine. I hope my. Baby just inherited my genetics. Btw. I have a PhD and a medical degree. So cognitively I am fine despite my tiny head as a baby...

I also read babies who are symmetrically small are more likely to do well intellectually than babies who are otherwise average bit have a tiny head.
So that's encouraging for us and our small babies

Thanks both, I just want some real world experience as opposed to reading research. HV not concerned as he's growing along the curve, I was just really hoping he'd pick up and after a good weight gain he'd put in much less at last weigh in. We measured his length and thought he'd picked up to 2nd centile, more recent one suggests still on the 0.4th. I think I'd pinned my hopes on him catching up a little.
Current HC is 39.6cm. I was on the 25th/50th centile and still am I'd guess at 5ft3, hubby has large head, he was born over 10lb but his mum was an undiagnosed diabetic! Hes 5ft9
He seems to be doing ok, I'm just constantly worried he's getting enough milk and calories to aid growth and will spk to BF support about whether I express and add some formula for extra calories. Generally worried, it's my nature, I feel motherhood will be a constant state of worry. If he develops OK then we can cross height later with growth hormone if needed.
Sorry for 2 long rambling messages!

I think as a mother we never stop worrying. I am currently conv8nced that my daughter will have a learning diffoculty because of her small head despite everyone reassuring me. I keep googling and reading papers and watch YouTube videos about microcephaly.... All the stuff that's totally contraproductive.

Is your baby growing though? If tjey are gaining weight then it shoyld be fije, no? Maybe he is just a small baby.

My youngest was symetrically under the 0.4th from birth - caused her to go into hypothermic shock at birth. She went onto have such severe failure to thrive she plunged well under the 0.4th, lost 40% of her birthweight and was not expected to live.

She somehow survived but was left with complex specific learning difficulties as a result [profound dyspexia and dyspraxia] In her case the contributing factor for that was very severe failure to thrive in her first year rather than being born tiny. She just about made it to 12lbs for her first bday.

She was tested for lots of strange disorders including repeats for Silver-Russel. Turns out she is one of the kids who really is at the bottom 0.4% of the population for size.

A few years on - yes she struggled to do pure academic work at school with lost of support but took to the vocational route like a duck to water and thrived.

My daughter might be small but she is very fiesty.

@Felinewoman I totally get it, I have managed to speak to paeds again, they are going to test for CF and couple of genetic diseases (Noonans) but feels likely will be fine. Obviously I'm worrying about CF, but think Noonans is less likely, we're also having an USS for congenital CMV. He's not a failure to thrive baby as he is growing along a line so, hopefully CF is less likely.

If your concerned get your GP to write to paeds with measurements about whether they would want to see you at some point, not a referral but advice letter, it's a nice half way house for them. Of paeds would want to see you they'll let them know. Paeds did say small head doesn't mean developmental or learning difficulty if that helps.

@triballeader oh bless her, I'm glad she's doing well now. That must have been really tough at the time.

@joey246 how are you getting on? It's been a while

@felinewoman hi, he's doing ok, is a year next friday, has picked up nearly 2 centiles in all areas since weaning, seems to have plateaued a little now. Length and weight about the 9th and head closer to 25th. Having said that he was normally 2 months behind on clothes sizes, he's now nearly 3 and hasn't grown or of much of his 6-9.
Developmentally, he's on, definitely not ahead of the curve and his language, I'm slightly concerned about and he's not waving or clapping again which is a concern. Awaiting our one year development review with HV. I found the questionnaire they sent through is enough to stress our a overthinking worrier like me though.

How are you getting on?

Hi,

Sorry for late reply. I'm fine. She's 13 months now. Waiting for hv call... And am anxious.
Did the ASQ3 14 questionnaire and she is obviously on the young side for it (it's 13-15 months), so not doing all the things.
Her language/communication are definitely a bit behind. She's not pointing (only at the cats), not really saying anything but babbling lots, not shaking head or nodding and no waving.
She does clap and has really good eye contact. Very social and likes to play with us and other kids.
No clue... I'm not a paediatrician.
She seems fine in the other domains.

Head is still small but growing, almost 2nd centile, woohoo hahaha. That would be so amazing... We shall see. Woyld be nice if she wasn't "microcephalic" by definition...
Also, she is so speedt now, almost walking. Hiw can such a small human be everywhere at the same time?

Also,, dd has gone from 9th to 25th centile in weight as well. She looves cheese 😂

@Felinewoman
Actually the 12month review wasn't too bad, the one we did was for 12 months. The HV was reassuring and said he scored ok. He does babble, has more sounds and says mama and dada and nana but not really in relation to anything. He's very recently done some half hearted, possible vague attempts at clapping and waving, but literally once so I'm not holding my breath. He's not shaking his head or nodding either. He's not remotely interested in walking, although he does seem to suddenly do things with very little warning, I think he likes to feel confident he definitely can rather than just try, he showed very little interest in pulling to stand until he was just stood there when I turned around one day.

They all do things in their own time and there's always a spectrum. My nephew was a bit behind on his language, he's now 6 and has a huge vocabulary, comes out with words i wouldn't have thought he'd know.

I hate he's small, makes me worried for his adult height, he's mostly a pretty reasonable eater but having started nursery he's picking up everything and doesn't eat when he's unwell. His 6-9m vests have loads of room, but then on last weigh in he was 8.3kg and they go up to 9.5kg so it's no wonder.
Try not to worry, your head was a similar size at birth and you've done really well, maybe genetically you're destined for small headed babies with PhDs! :)

@Felinewoman
Feel free to message me directly if you want.

Hi mama’s out there

I am worried like sick at 21 weeks check up my doctor measured my baby girl HC and it is 38 Cm. She is meeting all her milestones and I am on the small side.

The pediatrician is saying that no need to worry as she seems that she is meeting her milestones but sent us to anthropology to do head measurement and they requested family head sizes like our parents ( me and my husband)

I keep googling and everything is see is so scary so I wanted to share and connect with you as it seems you are going through the same situation. How are you little ones doing?

Thanks !

I just had a look at growth chart. Yes that's pretty much where my daughter was at 21 weeks. She is still sitting between 0.4th and 2nd centile at 2 years. Head is growing and she is hitting milestones although her speech is delayed but she seems to be starting.
Was your baby born with a small head? Is her head shape normal?
We had MRI and CT scan to exclude craniosynostosis and brain pathology as causes of her smal head.
We also saw a geneticist 2 days ago who agreed that there is no jeed for immediate testing as she is developing fine and doesn't have any other features suggesting some sort of syndrome.
We're getting her hearing checked hopefully soon , waiting for appointment.

There's nothing you can do about a small head unfortunately but it sounds encouraging that your little one is developing fine.
Getting heads measured is also a good call as head size is inherited.
Maybe it is really just a small head. As long as she is on the growth chart that's fine. These are encompassing head sizes of healthy babies for age. There are some who have tiny heads and some who have massive heads but are normal.

Hello Felinewoman;

First of all Thanks so much for replying! It means a lot to be able to connect with other person going through the same thing.

She was born based on the hospital measurement 33 cm but when we went for pediatrician check up they measured her 32 cm (apparently the hospital one wasn’t accurate) while I was pregnant no one ever mentioned a small head or anything like that so I am really confused.

Great to know that your little one is doing great and growing. I hope her speech will pick up.

I think after the measurement I will request MRI to rule out any brain pathology.

I will keep you posted!