8 week old head circumference jumping centiles

[Willowfalls]

Hello,

The antenatal thread on here was a godsend so hoping I can find some reassurance here.

My DD arrived and we were perfectly happy until we met the HV…

I have had 3 different HV so far due to moving house/one being on annual leave. The first was lovely but we sadly moved away.

DD has a slightly flat head on the right back side. She does prefer to lay that way but does turn both ways. However, didn’t when our new HV came and so we have been referred for physio for torticollis and because of this, for hip dysplasia. DD HC measurement had also jumped up a few centiles as original HV had measured her as 33cm at 10 days (although on her birth notes, it says DD had a HC of 34cm) and new HV measured her as 36cm at 6 weeks. She was concerned as it had jumped up a few centiles but said “don’t google as you will worry yourself” and that she would measure her at 8 weeks.

8 week app was on Monday and HV was on annual leave so had another one. She measured DD HC as 38.5cm and so it has jumped up even more. She referred me to the GP via the phone whilst I was in the room and told me to expect a call from them. It ended up the HV calling back and said the GP said to measure it again in 2 weeks.

DD weight is 25th centile, height 50th and HC just above 60th.

I just feel so worried about it all! Has anyone had a similar experience? I felt so blissfully happy and now just feel anxious. Lack of sleep isn’t helping either 🤣😭.

Thank you xxx

3 different hvs and 3 different measurements.
So probably not measured consistently .
You need same (experienced) person to be measuring in same way. To make a proper assessment that head size actually increasing.

Any other concerns?

Ask for review by gp or paediatrician if there are different concerns.

Just to get proper measurements.

@Embracelife thank you. I’m hoping that it could just be that!

Apart from being referred for torticollis & hip dysplasia (apparently they are on the same pathway), DD seems happy and well (she is my first so not too experienced) but I feel as though I am now overanalysing everything.

Is there anything I should be looking out for?

Not the same experience exactly as we didn't measure their heads that often somnor exactly sure when they jumped up. However, neither were 99th centile at birth. My firstborn was 99th centile pretty early on though and my second is over 100th centile. It's genetic with both and although not as early Incan remember when my second child's head grew quite quicklym. I'm imagining some kind of developmental leap and so lots of head growth.

So 2.5 cm in 8 weeks, that sounds like normal growth to me?!

Sorry 4.5 cm. But yes seems like normal growth. You can look up the centiles somewhere

If you look up the who growth percentile charts for head size girls. You can see from those measurements and the graph your girl seems perfectly normal 🤷‍♀️

If she was 34cm at birth and 38.5 at 8 weeks, that's 4.5cm in 8 weeks, not 2.5cm.

Cross post!

Heads with a flat bit measure bigger than round heads, because the shortest distance round a circumference is a circle. It's most likely the head shape that's causing the jump in centiles.

Yes I corrected myself, sorry I've been drinking wine. But I can read the WHO percentile head charts and they show that the head growth in that time is normal

Not sure how to post a link though

@Opalfeet @NuffSaidSam I think it’s more that she has jumped up a few centiles xx

I think it's unusual to measure it, possibly because it isn't easy to measure reliably.

Not head circumference, but a friend's baby's length shrank 2 cm in 2 weeks, which shows how dodgy some measurements are.

Apparently it's useful to measure parents' head circumference as a significant proportion of DC with unusual head size just come from parents with unusual head size.

Hopefully it will just turn out to be nothing.

@Opalfeet I’m also on the wine! 🤣

@nocoolnamesleft @Justajot thank you both! Hoping it will be nothing ☺️

Here's a pic of the centiles. So 2 months is 38cm for the middle centile and 34cm at birth. Doesnt seem a big jump.

If you follow the green line which is 50th centile 34cm at birth and 38cm by 2 months. I don't think yours seems out of the ordinary

Yep @Justajot I panicked when I measured my firstborns head as 98th percentile and above is diagnosed as macrosomia apparently. Anyhow I ended up working out percentile for me and partner and it was 99th and 90th respectively. We are a family of massive heads. 🤷‍♀️

All mine had - and still have - big heads. At 16 weeks they were trying to make me shift my dates because of twins' head diameters but I was certain. By 9 months DS was above the 90th centile - well above - for head circumference though just above the 50th for weight and length. They did a quick scan looking through the fontanelle and I believe they were looking for excess fluid, but they told me he was just a little boy with a big brain. 🤷🏼‍♀️ As I recall, at 9 months he crossed the 50th centile for 24 months old. I had to unpick all his shoulder seams and put poppers in. Nothing would go over that head! He sort of grew into it in the end.

If there is excess fluid they can pop in a shunt to drain it, I think. Spotting whether it's a problem is the key thing and your HV seems on the ball, so try not to worry.

We were told just before our youngest’s first birthday that he may have craniosynistosis, his circumference was abnormally large.
Referred to consultant, various scans, MRIs later, no, just had a large head!
17 years later and his head is now perfectly in proportion to his 6ft 4 frame. Bright as a button and off to uni in October.
Easy to say I know but do try not to worry too much. I did and it was a huge waste of energy!

This may not be relevant but I’ll share if it helps!

DS (2.5) head has always been on the 98th percentile while his height is 75 and weight is 50. His dad has a massive head and had to go for check ups as a baby as his head was so big. Both are fine despite their big heads!

One of the HVs has made a mistake here when plotting I think. If DD’s head was 34cm at birth and now 38.5cm at 8 weeks, she hasn’t crossed any centile lines at all. I do head circumference measurements all the time and they are notoriously tricky on a wobbly headed new baby! Each measurement should be checked 3 times to make sure it’s correct.

Please try not to worry about this at all, if it helps though my DS really did jump up the centiles for head circumference at 6, 8 and then 12 weeks. We saw a paediatrician, had an ultrasound of his head and all was fine, just familial big headedness! He’s almost 4 now and has grown into his head, sort of 😂

DD1 is a 5'5" size 8 and when she graduated, the housemates were measuring each other for cap size. She had the biggest head circumference in the house, which included a 6'5" Adonis type. She hired the smallest gown size and the largest cap. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Downside is that for DS's wedding next year I know I will either have to wear a fascinator or find a hat to fit first and build my outfit round whatever I can find, regardless if whether I like the colour and style.

Meanwhile, DH, whose head is larger still, can quote his hat size and be sold something he knows will fit. He had a beautiful Panama but he has given it to DD1. 😉

@NewlyGranny don't wear a fascinator or a hat?

It's probably nothing but worth keeping an eye on. My DD has hydrocephalus and this was picked up by jumping centiles. So yes could be nothing at all but try and measure weekly (same person doing it as everyone does it differently) so you can compare.