Head grown 2cm in 2 weeks

[Pleaseletmevent]

Hi besties,

I took my son to the 10 month review and they asked if I had any questions and I was like “his head is a little asymmetric” and the lady was like “I’m not a specialist of heads bob him to the doctors”.

I took him to the doctors (1 week after the review, when I could get an appointment) his head had grown another 0.5cm she referred me to paediatrics, could be up to a month, she told me if I noticed his head growing rapidly to come back.

Since this appointment 2 weeks ago, his head had grown 2cm in 2 weeks, we went to the doctors yesterday and they sent us straight to the hospital.

The hospital have said they will run tests but not last night as it was too late and needed to talk to radiology, but if any of the red warnings; eyes down and wide or vomiting a lot take him straight back.

My question is, surely we shouldn’t wait for these “red warnings” to present themselves, like if it isn’t that my baby just has a big head isn’t it better to get it seen to early.,. Before the red warnings? Idk

My baby was under paediatrics for suspected hydrocephalus for a while (eventually diagnosed as benign familial macrocephaly - family history of big heads!). They don't do any tests immediately because A. The NHS just don't have the capacity to MRI or ultrasound most suspected cases and B. Most babies with large heads, even rapidly growing heads, simply have big heads. But if you see the red flag symptoms, then they need to know right away whether it's hydrocephalus or not.

I ended up taking LO to A&E at five months with projectile vomiting - turned out to be COVID. As soon as they got the COVID test result, they stopped worrying about the vomiting and even that did not speed things up despite being a red flag!

We saw the paediatric neurologist two weeks later, by then baby's length and weight has caught to with head circumference a bit, and head growth had slowed so baby was more in proportion (still needs big hats for age). There's family members with big heads on both sides of the family, and once we told the neurologist this - combined with the new measurements - we were discharged.

I hope your situation also turns out to be benign, the majority of cases are, but it's good you've been told which red flag symptoms to look out for.

Currently baby’s status is ‘needs another look’.
So they will schedule another look, probably several tests and take history I imagine.

While they are doing that, or organising doing that, ‘these are signs that he needs urgent treatment’.

That’s not the same as ‘we won’t look until …’

I know it’s worrying. But they’ll be working out which clinics to send you to for the investigations.
They aren’t waiting for a crisis, but if one happens you have been told how to recognise it.

Hi what was your outcome. My baby is going through similar. Head grew 5cm in 7 weeks since born.hes been referred but I am so worried. I am thinking to take him to A&E but he has no other symptoms

They sent him for a CT scan where he was sedated and it was all fine, he just has a massive head :)