Microcephaly is a condition where a baby's head is much smaller than expected. During pregnancy, a baby's head grows because the baby's brain grows. Microcephaly can occur because a baby's brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth, which results in a smaller head size.

Can microcephaly occur after birth?

In some cases, microcephaly may occur after birth. This is known as acquired microcephaly. It can happen because of injury to the brain. This may be caused by lack of oxygen or an infection.

What is the main cause of microcephaly?

Microcephaly may be caused by problems with brain development or being exposed to alcohol and certain drugs, chemicals and infections in the womb. Zika virus infection during pregnancy causes microcephaly.

How can I prevent microcephaly in pregnancy?

While you're pregnant, you can take steps to try to prevent acquired microcephaly:

1. Eat a healthy diet and take prenatal vitamins.
2. Don't drink alcohol or do drugs.
3. Stay away from chemicals.
4. Wash your hands often, and get treated for any illness as soon as you feel sick.
5. Have someone else change the litter box.

What are the chances of having a baby with microcephaly?

What is microcephaly? Microcephaly is a very rare birth defect occurring in approximately 2 to 12 babies per 10,000 live births in the U.S. Babies who are born with microcephaly have smaller-than-average head circumferences and can potentially have lifelong disabilities.

WHO: Microcephaly and Zika virus infection - Questions and answers (Q&A)

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What size head is microcephaly?

Normal head circumferences in term infants range from 32 to 38 cm. Microcephaly is defined as a head circumference 2 standard deviations (SDs) below the mean for age and sex or roughly less than the 2nd percentile.

What happens if baby's head doesn't grow?

It's important because it can indicate how well their brain is growing. If your baby's brain isn't growing properly, they may have a condition known as microcephaly. Microcephaly is a condition in which your baby's head is smaller than those of other children of the same age and sex.

Can you outgrow microcephaly?

Microcephaly is a lifelong condition that has no cure. Treatment focuses on preventing or reducing problems and maximizing a child's abilities. Children born with microcephaly need to see their healthcare team often. They will need tests to track the growth of the head.

Why is my head so small?

Microcephaly most often occurs because the brain does not grow at a normal rate. The growth of the skull is determined by brain growth. ... Conditions that affect brain growth can cause smaller than normal head size. These include infections, genetic disorders, and severe malnutrition.

Should I be concerned if my baby's head is small?

Chances are your doctor will detect microcephaly at the baby's birth or at a regular well-baby checkup. However, if you think your baby's head is smaller than normal or isn't growing as it should, talk to your doctor.

How can I help my baby's head grow?

Put your baby on your chest on their tummy facing you and softly talk to them to try to encourage them to lift their head. Put your baby, belly down, on your thighs and gently rub their back. Holding your baby upright over your shoulder while gently supporting their head also strengthens their neck and back muscles.

Does a small head mean small brain?

Even though head size also depends on factors such as the muscularity of the head and thickness of the bone, it's very likely that a bigger head means a bigger brain. But Hurlburt says people with bigger brains aren't necessarily smarter than those with smaller ones.

Can you see microcephaly in ultrasound?

Microcephaly may be diagnosed during pregnancy with ultrasound. Microcephaly is most easily diagnosed by ultrasound late in the second trimester or early in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Do microcephaly babies survive?

The prognosis for a child who has microcephaly depends on the other medical conditions the child has. In general, life expectancy for children who have microcephaly is reduced, and the prospects of attaining normal brain function is poor.

At what stage of development does microcephaly occur?

Early diagnosis of microcephaly can sometimes be made by fetal ultrasound. Ultrasounds have the best diagnosis possibility if they are made at the end of the second trimester, around 28 weeks, or in the third trimester of pregnancy. Often diagnosis is made at birth or at a later stage.

Is it possible for your head to get bigger?

Benign familial macrocephaly is an inherited condition. It happens in families predisposed to having larger heads. Sometimes there is a problem with the brain, such as hydrocephalus or excess fluid. Underlying conditions will require treatment.

Can head size be increased?

Increased head size may be from any of the following: Benign familial macrocephaly (family tendency toward large head size) Canavan disease (condition that affects how the body breaks down and uses a protein called aspartic acid) Hydrocephalus (buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling)

Can you have microcephaly and be normal?

Microcephaly in children is a rare and genetic condition. Some children with microcephaly are both with normal intelligence and have normal developmental milestones, but their heads will always be smaller than normal children for their age and sex. Even in such cases, a regular follow-up with the doctor is advised.

Can adults have microcephaly?

In about 10 percent of cases, a small head is no more than that. In these cases, children and adults do not have the intellectual impairment or medical issues that can accompany microcephaly, such cerebral palsy, vision problems or epilepsy.

What is secondary microcephaly?

Secondary microcephaly occurs when the brain, roughly normal in size at birth, does not grow thereafter. Brain infection, traumatic brain injury, and oxygen deprivation in the brain are causes of postnatal onset.

Why is my baby's head so small?

During pregnancy, a baby's head grows because the baby's brain grows. Microcephaly can occur because a baby's brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth, which results in a smaller head size.

At what age does a child's head stop growing?

The brain more than triples in size during a child's first 2 years of life. To make room for the brain, the skull must grow rapidly during this time, reaching 80% of its adult size by the age of 2 years. By age 5, the skull has grown to over 90% of the adult size.

Can microcephaly be misdiagnosed?

Recently, microcephaly has usually been misdiagnosed only by ultrasound via measurement of head circumfer- ence (HC). Different literatures use different standards for diagnosis of microcephaly with head circumference.

Is 33 cm head circumference at birth?

The average newborn's head measures 13 3/4 in (35 cm) Generally, a newborn's head is about half the baby's body length in cm plus 10 cm. So a baby that is 18 inches long would be 45.7 centimeters (18 x 2.54). His or her head would be about 32.9 cm or a little under 13 inches.