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Original poster

32 week scan - very large head - any experience?

28 replies

Roonerspism · 22/10/2014 20:08

Had a private growth scan and all looked well except head is measuring 4 weeks ahead (96th centile) and tummy 95th centile. Femur length is 50th centile. It's a girl.

Sonographer wasn't remotely concerned. And neither was I until I stupidly googled.

All sorts of horrible things came up like macrocephaly. I understand it can be a normal familial thing but other DCs have relatively small heads.

Anyone come across this and all has been well?

I'm a worrier Hmm

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isambardo · 22/10/2014 20:16

I'm 34 weeks now and my 32 week scan measurements were very similar to yours. It hadn't crossed my mind to be concerned, I don't think many people are perfectly in proportion. Must resist googling now and panicking myself! The sonographer didn't seem at all worried, might be worth talking it over with your midwife though?

o0 · 22/10/2014 20:24

My DS1 measured off their charts at a 31week scan. He was just a reeeeally chubby newborn, not a thing wrong. He lost his chub further down the line.

Original poster
Roonerspism · 22/10/2014 20:25

Sorry to worry you isambardo... I'm a lunatic Grin

I asked the sonographer three times if I should be worried but she said not. It's only because I'm a fool and googled. Lots of women seem to have this but say that big heads run in family (don't in mine)

It's just then I found other scary stuff. But presumably they would have referred us if there was an issue, right?

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PotteringAlong · 22/10/2014 20:26

My DS is 3. His head is still off the charts. There's nothing wrong other than my inability to buy him hats that fit now he just has a massive head Smile

scepticalexpat · 22/10/2014 20:31

Both my DD and DS had these kinds of measurements at birth - huge head, normal body. It's just our body shape and luckily never occurred to me to worry about it.

However, I did need stitches for small tears after both births!

liesal79 · 22/10/2014 20:33

At my 28 week scan, babys head was measuring 30, so I was worried, and was told (after mentioning to my consultant) that they would only be concerned if the head was too small! Guess we just have very clever babies with big brains!!! :)

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 22/10/2014 20:38

I have two DSes whose heads and abdomens measured off the centile scale throughout pregnancy yet had under-average limbs. They are both fine and healthy and DS1 (5) now has beautifully long legs like me It's too soon to call on DS2 (6 months). Oh and they are both Highly Intelligent too Grin

Hospitals IME are very risk averse when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth and any measurement that comes at either end of the centile scale is usually carefully reviewed. I would be very assured by what you've been told and I would also NEVER GOOGLE.

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 22/10/2014 20:40

Also, remember that the differences on a centile chart are millimeters and centimeters at this stage.

Iggly · 22/10/2014 20:42

Yes dd has a massive head and small body. We got another scan (why did you have one at 32 weeks?) to check.

She just has a massive noggin which fecking hurt getting out

Original poster
Roonerspism · 22/10/2014 22:00

Thanks for info.

I plotted on centile charts and she is 98 centile for head and 92 for tummy....

I had the scan for reassurance in the 3rd trimester (hollow laugh)

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Milliways · 22/10/2014 22:03

Mine were both like that. DD needed an adult bike helmet by age 8 and neither could have anything with a small neck hole as children, but their heads were large front-back - and they were both very brainy [grin[

springrain · 22/10/2014 22:38

DD was 99th centile for head and off scale for stomach, plus predicted to be 10lb full term. Was pretty accurate and ended up C section after being induced early due to DD's size. Was way preferable to a normal delivery given her measurements. She is absolutely normal, very tall with a big head that looks in proportion. Getting cycle etc helmets more challenging but fine.

Original poster
Roonerspism · 22/10/2014 22:46

Thanks -appreciate these reassuring tales so so much. I don't want to fret for the next 8 weeks...

Any more?

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Whenwillwe3meetagain · 23/10/2014 04:33

I'm 36 weeks today and my baby's head measurements were about 15-20% off the scale and abdomen at 100th centile and legs at 95th. This is what comes of combining height from my side of the family and my dh has a huge head and is broad.
I have a scan on Wednesday next week due to 'enthusiastic growth' (consultants words!) to establish whether I'll need a c section. Meanwhile I've bought an epi-no to hopefully reduce the chance of tearing.
No one has been concerned by head size just that could be hard to give birth naturally.

JoandMax · 23/10/2014 04:41

DS2 had a huge head, and still does, off the scale. Everyone else's heads are normal. He wears hats for over 10 year olds and he's 4.5! Its much bigger than his older brothers but he looks normal, its not noticeable. He had other unrelated medical problems and has seen a million doctors and its never been a concern, normally we just get a joke about his big old head!!

I like to think it holds a genius brain.......

mupperoon · 23/10/2014 05:38

Yep, my "little" girl measured very similarly. The consultant said that if the head and abdominal measurements were more or less aligned in terms of centile there was nothing to worry about.

At 11 weeks old, she looks in proportion - her head isn't noticeably bigger than her NCT class peers. Obviously she's very gifted already, but more importantly she's hyper-snuggly.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

Hurr1cane · 23/10/2014 05:46

I suppose you have read that larger than average heads can indicate some genetic disorders, well yes it CAN, sometimes, and sometimes it doesn't, I think it would be a lot larger than one percentile more though.

My DS is perfectly proportioned, he has been measured by a lot of geneticists. He has a pretty serious and extremely rare (so rare it's not even named) genetic disorder they think.

So it doesn't really mean anything, and there would be more than just a head to indicate anything so you don't need to worry.

And stay away from doctor google, he's a scare mongerer who needs to be fired Wink

OneMoreCupOfTea · 23/10/2014 08:34

My little boy had a head size over the 99th centile, they said everything else was fine, it is just his proportions. There is a difference of only a few millimetres between the centiles and scans cannot measure perfectly. As long as they said everything else was fine, I would not worry

MotherOfInsomniacToddlers · 23/10/2014 08:40

My second child's head was on the 98th centile at the scan, when he was born and now when he's two. He's just got a big head (when measured it's big, he looks totally normal) my first baby was only on the 50th centile. Both are normal and healthy. Someone has to be at those centiles Grin

Azurea · 23/10/2014 08:46

My DD who is now 19 months has a massive head, it finally looks more in proportion but it never worried me.

I think there would need to be a larger than 1 or 2 centil differences for head and body to trigger any alarm bells and I think smaller heads are more of a worry.

Iggly · 23/10/2014 09:24

Well dd is 2. Last time she was measured, it was 91st (or something) centile for head and 2nd for weight, 25th for height Hmm

She is fine! She's been seen by paediatricians because I thought she wasn't growing enough (then she had a growth spurt!). Our family on both sides have massive noggins and aren't that tall.

Missmidden · 23/10/2014 09:37

I have had 2 DDs with heads on or above the top centile at birth and they are both absolutely fine. DP and I both have large heads so no surprise, really. Only downside was a ghastly second stage labour with DD1 which I believe her head size played a large part in. I managed to get an ELCS with DD2 and am glad I did as her head was even bigger!

Torfhinn · 23/10/2014 16:51

35 week scan showed my son's head above the top centile, he was born with a completely normal head size. At his 6 week check, his head measurement was bang on the 75th centile, as was his length. The growth scans are pretty inaccurate in my opinion so try to not worry. The sonographer knows what to look for so if they are not worried, you can relax. Easy for me to say, I spent 5 weeks worrying about how I was going to give birth to that massive head! Good luck Smile

Original poster
Roonerspism · 23/10/2014 22:25

Just wanted to say huge thanks to everyone who has responded. You have really helped me stop fretting. Mumsnet at its best.

I will report back and confirm whether baby does indeed have a huge head!

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SaraLouise88 · 06/08/2018 10:56

Help! I had a scan on Friday and the measurements are all (apart from HC) coming up small (HC measuring like 2 weeks ahead everything else 2 weeks behind) but the sonographer said they are all in the curves (at different places) so not to worry. On the EFW chart the baby was on the 5th centile at 20 weeks so I was referred to consultant. 28 and 32 week scans showed good growth (moved closer to the 50th centile line) and midwife said it will just be a small baby as long as she continues to go up the curve nothing to worry about. At my scan on Friday (36 weeks) the baby had gone down to the 5th centile line again (although the sonographer didn’t plot it on the chart so I only noticed when I got home that evening). She has gained about 500g in the 4 weeks since my last scan but I am worried now that she is not following the curves.... is this a sign of FGR/IUGR? I have a midwife appointment tomorrow but she always dismisses my concerns so I’m worried she won’t take me seriously! xx

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