Weird HV Reason to Give Formula, #568

[NotQuiteCockney]

At her baby's six-week check, a friend was told that his head was growing faster than his body, disproportionately so. And to sort it out, she needed to ... give formula!

Some HVs really need a smack, don't they.

I know that Breast is best and all that. I BF both DD's but the HV reasoning might be that sucking from a bottle develops different head and mouth muscles from the breast as it is a stronger suck. Maybe this was what the HV meant.

So why did she suggest formula rather than expressed milk from a bottle? Developing different muscles won't change the fact that his head is growing faster than his body, will it?

Oh come on! How does that work? It was her son's head as a whole that was too big, not his mouth or jaw.

Oh, and I've not noticed his head being big, not notably so, anyway.

What happens if the baby's body is growing faster than the head? Do they suggest relactation, to prevent him growing up to be a pinhead?

SORRY!!!! was only trying to get on the side of the HV. [BLUSH] As I said I BF both my DD and really dont know why the HV suggested that. Tell your friend to go to the GP for a second opinion.

GPs tend to know about as much about it as HVs do, sadly.

Oh, my friend just ignored her. She's a first-time mum, but her sister lives locally, has three kids, and is sensible.

As she said, if there was a real concern about a baby's head growing funny, wouldn't you expect scans and paediatrician appoinments and stuff? Not a suggestion to give formula!

pmsl in a big way at the relactation to prevent baby being a pinhead
how funny is that?

LOL! Hope she stuck her fingers in her ears and went "La, la, la!".

Bet the HV doesnt even have children. Most of them dish out advice without even knowing first hand what they are talkign about. Good on your friend for ignoring her.

Silly HV

Actually, if anyone is worried best bet is a consultant not a GP. I say this because my DS also has a large head, we were referred to the consultant, did full skeletal x-rays the works and 2 follow-up visits over the next 2 years. What the consultant did was measure all three of us DS, DH & I and proportionally we are all the same - three big heads . Though the consultant had the largest head of us all proportionally - the biggest big head !!!!!

DS did inherit my fathers short arms, which I had never even noticed until we told my parents about DS's short arms (I had only known my father for 37 years at that point!!!).

Nobody ever said BF was to blame

Debbiethemum. DH and I are POurselvesL at your post!

I once had a hospital appointment at which the doctor asked me, in all seriousness, looking straight at me: 'Do you have a big head?'. To which I responded: 'You tell me, you are the one looking at it.'

Turned out I have, apparently...

NQC, no way?! Mad mad mad!

I reckon the HV was just jealous - she must see people with heads big enough for brains to fit in them every day. And sadly, her head clearly isn't.

PMSL at pinhead prevention!

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I've just read this thread. I am now having to wipe tears of laughter from my eyes.

My ds has a massive head and it's obviously all my fault because I didn't give him any formula. I'm so pleased to have cleared that up.

Humans are supposed to have big heads for their big brains - cows, well proportionally they have smaller brains.

oh well - my sil was told that her child's large head meant my neice was autistic?!?!?!

they seem to run in the family as her second dd laso had a big head and my second dd too

dh and I both have rather large heads ( to hold all the brains in - yeh right ) and if her reasoning is correct then I should have a small head as I was solely formula fed - go figure

silly woman.

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Jamie Oliver has a big head does that mean he was breastfed until at least 5?

pmsl

health visitors talk a load of garbage, if babe has big head then big brain and maybe high IQ,entrepeneur to come! who knows

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