Arrghhh my DD2 has a small head apparently :(

[neverenoughMEtime]

Hi all,

Weve been referred to pead clinic at hospital because at her 8 month check up my DD's head measured 42cm. The health visitor didn't say much then wrote "mum reassured" in DD's red book
I took DD to GP who read the HV letter and said "ah, its the fontanelle she was worried about isn't it" Huh?! She never said that to me! He said babies have 2, one that should close at 3 months old and the other that closes around 2yo? He didn't give me any answers either but from what i heard i think DD's fontanelle that should have closed at 3 months is still open...

So, does anyone know anything about this? I have to wait until next monday now to see a health visitor so thought i'd ask here. Im worried tbh, i can see on her chart that it was average size at birth, dropped a little at 6 weeks and now its practicallly in the 2nd centile, red line. The only thing that is keeping me a little calmer at the minute is that DH has a smaller head than the average adult male, DD1 has a smaller head than all her peers, in her school photo her head is much smaller than the others. She's just "dinky" Im hoping it may be genetic?? Although DD1 always measured average for head size as a baby...

DD2 is doing great develpomentally, and is average length and weight. Im worried that her head isn't growing :(
Please share your experiences? And does anyone know what happens if the fontanelle hasn't closed and should have done? Also how many CM should her head measure now? Thanks.

Thanks pixie. Im hoping its genetic. I dont get the feeling that something is wrong..everyone keeps telling me if it was i would know it...and im really trying not to google..

Dd has a ridiculously small head. Neither dh, ds or I do. She is small generally, but I know when her head was measured at some point (6-8 months-ish) she was practically off the chart.

She is 4 1/2 and seems to fit a perfectly normal amount of stuff into it and is perfectly healthy & happy.

Hoping this may reassure bit more. My friends ds had the opposite, an enormous head and every time he was weighed they did his head and it was growing so much was off the chart. The babys grandad had a huge head and could never get a hat to fit, and the paed said it was likely to be genetic but scanned him to be sure and all was fine. He still has a v big head now, just one of those things.

deepdarkwood your post was so reassuring thanks for replying! Did you have to take your DD to see a consultant if she was almost off the chart? What did the HV say? If you can remember seeing as your DD is now 4! Great to hear all is well now! We get too wrapped up in charts don't we, must remember that they all grow at their own rate (repeats to self over and over)

Thanks for sharing charlieboo, it is reassuring. I think DD will probably have to have a scan won't she. Im glad all was well for your friend's DS. Quite worying when they are heading off the chart, evern if it is only a guide!

The HV was hugely unconcerned tbh.
As it happens, we were seeing a paeds consultant about something unrelated but head-orientated (iykwim) and he wasn't bothered either. I think she may have had a late fusing fontinelle as well, but can't swear to it. (And, iirc, that was seen as a good thing - it's when they fuse too early that you should be worried rather than the other way round)

All of that said, if YOU are worried, it's fine to go back and say that you're not reassured, and would like to be talked through things.

Thanks deepdarkwood. Ive decided im going to take her next monday to the clinic and speak to the HV. Good to hear the consultant wasn't bothered in your case. Hopefully it'll be the same for us, just something they have to check out. I think i would feel better if another HV had a look and feel of her fontanelle as now im thinking what if it is fusing too early because its smaller than DD1's was.

I totally sympathise with you! My daughter's head is so small it's off the scale! At 2.5yrs her head measures 42.7cm but she's dinky anyway and most people don't notice. We've had hundreds of blood tests and scans and seen umpteen specialists but no one can tell us why this has happened. My daughter is completely normal developmentally and if anything is above normal intelligence. I agree with the advice DO NOT GOOGLE!!!! Ask for a referral to a paediatrician, they will monitor the growth rate and development of your baby. Only other thing is I would check the measurements yourself using the same tape measure every time and the same technique, some docs and hv's have different ways of doing it and this resulted in me being quite histerical at one check up when a locum tried to tell me my daughter's head had shrank by almost a centimeter! My older daughter had a slightly smaller head than 'normal' and her fontanelle did fuse slightly earlier than usual but her head size has actually caught up and is now bang on average, her head shape is also perfectly fine and as for development and intelligence she sat her SAT exams a year early and achieved higher than average marks and has just gone into comprehensive school and is in all of the top classes!!! Harder said than done but try to relax, you honestly would know if there was something wrong :)

Ah thanks a lot noodlesmam :)

Yes we have measured DD's head since that appointment, in 4 weeks her head grew 1cm :) so it is obviously growing but slower! We will measure again just before the appointment with the consultant, which will be 4 weeks since the last measurement so hopefully it will have grown another cm..

Good to hear your DC's development hasn't been affected! My DD is doing great too so fingers crossed it is just genetic. DH's head is only 2cm bigger than 4yo DD1! So kinda makes sense my kids would have smaller heads than average.

And i did google Oh yes DD has already been rushed in for surgery on her head and is now an adult with a baby sized head etc etc...it has all gone through my mind...

BUT im just waiting for the appointment, im sure all will be fine with my little DD. Thanks for your reply!