Bugger - when will I learn just NOT to see h/v ... any advice on head circumferance measuring small??

[funnypeculiar]

dd is nearly one, and we've seen h/v all of 3 times (all in first 4 mths) because I learnt with ds that
a) they know nothing
b) they still always manage to panic me about something.
But decided I would go along to her 9-12 mth check to check all ok as she's a bit of a runt.Weight & height have actually remained static on 25th percentile, but her head circumferance is now on 2nd percentile ( was also 25th)

For reasons I ain't going to post for now, her head is a sensitive area for me, so now I'm panicing

H/v said she had no concerns (dd is developmentally normal) but to check again in 3-6 mths time. But of course, I have no faith at all in h/v ability to spot a wet fish if slapped in the face with aforementioned.

Bugger.

Make me feel better please mn...

How big is your head/DH/DS's head?

If she's developing normally, she may just have a smaller than average head.

If it makes you feel any better, DS1 has a big head - he was born on 75th with a 91st centile head. His fontanelle didn't close up till he was - actually, I think there's still a dent at 2.11.

DS2's head is smaller, but he has a huge fontanelle still at 13m. I just make babies with big holes in their heads, I think.

So what I'm trying to say is don't worry.

If you're really panicking then check with gp. But I'm sure she's fine.

Thanks so far ... & good to know all babies don't stay on all centiles, hunker - ds was a 25 percentile all the way boy...

H/v measured my head which was slightly smaller than normal, and dh's head ( as he has already pointed out) is on the tall and squat side ...
Not panicing enough to see gp yet (not sure what they'd say/do, tbh...) but more reassurance still required

FloFlo - sorry hadn't realised you were Queen Of Small Heads ... might I ask what you did to earn this accolade {smile]

I think it depends really on what you mean by her head being a sensitive area for you. I know you say you don't want to go into it, but if you feel there could be any underlying cause then it would probably be a good idea to get a referrel, just to put your mind at rest if for nothing else.

Try not to worry, I'm also a small head expert as hats never fit me!!!

funnypeculiar,

I had this with when dd had her 12mnth check, hv threaten to report me to ss if i didn't take dd to the doctor.

I have to say dd was walking by 10mths and trying to talk by 12 mths.

I had to dd to the doctor for another reason a few weeks later, when i mention to the doctor what the hv had said he just looked at me and said what does she want me to do about it.

He looked at me i have a small head and hands.

As long as your dd is developing ok, i wouldn't worry to much.

Oh bloody hell, the HV strikes again!!

If she is OK in every other way as far as you can see, I would forget about it if I were you. And burn the red book! And don't go near a HV again. If there's a problem, see a doctor. Otherwise, tell them to mind their own beeswax.

OK, am slowly feeling better. Thank you all

(And took me a while to realise that your HV had threatened to report you to Social Services, not the Mazi SS, Lizziemun )

Just bloody wish I'd never gone, grrr.

funnypeculiar

As it as was a health visitor so it could well have been the Nazi SS

AHH HV's and heads , don't get me started!

we have 3 HV's.

One scatterbrain, but lovely and agreeable and sensible. One "don't not pat or rub your baby to aid winding". And one who is obsessed with DS head shape - which was lovely when he was born, but at 12 weeks has taken an odd triangular shape as he prefers to look in one direcion rather than the other.

Therefore I avoid going to baby clinic when the the third of the above is about!

Ignore your HV and go straigt to your GP. Tell them your HV has worried you. My GP never says anything bad about the HV's but just tells me not to take their words to heart as HV's are slaves to "The latest research"

Sorry, I just HAVE to repeat my rant on the other thread:

Why oh why oh why are people who use centile charts not trained to understand what they mean?

What is it with this belief that if a child's weight is on X centile, their height and head circumference MUST also be on X centile?

Do these people ever look around them on a busy city street and ponder the huge variety of sizes, shapes and types of build that they can see?

Or do they live in some parallel universe where we're all different sizes but exactly the same shape, like Russian dolls.

Aaaaaaargh! (Can you tell this is a favourite hobby horse of mine??)

----
Thanks, I feel better now!

Oh, FP, also, DS1 soon tailed off to between the 25th and 9th centiles and still has a big head.

He looks cute and only sometimes overbalances

Welliemum, please go and say that to every HV in the WORLD!

If your child is developing normally, please please do not worry! (Like fio, I am also a small head expert...) There is a huge range of normal head sizes and it is your child's development that is the key, not a measurement.

Never one to miss a bandwagon. I dragged myself to the HV as I was feeling really low and concerned I had a bit of PND. She told me that the easiest way to cook fish for a toddler was to cook and then peel a fish finger.

I am not joking.

The following week my husband MADE me ring up the HV and I repeated to her that I was worried that I felt so low. I heard her yell to a colleague 'CAN YOU TAKE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS WHEN YOU ARE BREASTFEEDING ?'. Two things there. a, she should know the answer to that already. b, are anti-deps the first line of treatment for questionable PND? NO.

About the small head thing. Friends boy, same worry, year later everyone stopped worrying, all fine.

Me? Still peeling fish fingers which has made me feel a lot lot better.

Peeling fishfingers, a fabulous new therapy for PND - I can't wait for the book to come out....

My other centiles gripe is the number of health professionals who think that everyone ought to be on the 50th centile..... dd1 was on the 50th centile for weight once, and the nurse congratulated me as if I'd done something really clever.

oh god, please let me peel a fish finger.

All mums panic, it comes with the baby.

Why are you sensitive about small small heads?

I believe women are supposed to have smaller brains than men but we all know who uses them most {grin}

I do that! (The fishfinger thing!)

My DS has an ENORMOUS head and after much worrying and doctor-bothering, it seems he's just got a big head.

At least you'll be able to get her t-shirts on

Don't worry ! I had similar panic thanks to HV with ds. He started on 25th whatsit then by about 1 year he was on 2nd whatsit. He is six now and perfect and yes, he may just have a slightly smaller head than average but so have I!! And he is a clever, funny little boy.

I posted on something like this last week. DS1 also has a very small head and they measured it 3 times at his 8 month check (he is 8 now). As he was developing normally they were quite sensible about it. He still has a small head, as do I, but he is perfectly OK. DS2 has an enormous head, so they are pinhead and bobblehead.

half of them are idiots and put the williesup you, so to speak, but then cant justify what they have said or back it up.
ds2 hardly ever sees one.
they told me ds1s head was big and this could point to abnormalities of his brain etc but she couldnt tell me any more than that.
most of what they say is a load of old tripe and best igored in my exp.
maybe i have been unlucky?