Health Encyclopedia

Increased head circumference

Definition

Increased head circumference is when the measured distance around the widest part of the skull is larger than expected for the child's age and background.

Alternative Names

Macrocephaly

Considerations

A newborn's head is usually about 2 centimeters larger than the chest size. Between 6 months and 2 years, both measurements are about equal. After 2 years, the chest size becomes larger than the head.

A series of measurements over time that show an increased rate of head growth often can provide more valuable information than a single measurement that is larger than expected.

Increased pressure in the head (increased intracranial pressure) often accompanies increased head circumference. Symptoms associated with this condition include:

Eyes moving downward
Irritability
Vomiting

Common Causes

Benign familial macrocephaly (family tendency toward large head size)
Canavan disease
Hurler syndrome
Hydrocephalus (congenital, post-traumatic, or obstructive)
Intracranial bleeding
Morquio syndrome

Call your health care provider if

The health care provider usually finds macrocephaly during a routine well-baby exam.

What to expect at your health care provider's office

The health care provider will take a medical history and will perform a physical examination.

Medical history questions may include:

Time pattern
- When did you first notice that the baby's head seemed large?
- Does the baby's head size seem to be increasing faster in proportion to the growth of the body?
Location
- Does the head seem larger all over?
- Is the head growing more in a front-to-back pattern or in a side-to-side pattern?
Other
- What other symptoms are present (especially changes in brain or nervous system functions)?

Physical examination may include repeated measurements of the head circumference over a period of time to confirm that the head circumference is significantly increased. In some cases a single measurement is enough to confirm a significant increase.

Diagnostic tests may vary depending on the suspected cause, but often include:

After seeing your health care provider:

If your health care provider diagnosed the cause of increased head circumference, you may want to note that diagnosis in your personal medical record.

Review Date:11/12/2007
Reviewed By:Rachel A. Lewis, M.D., F.A.A.P., Columbia University Pediatric Faculty Practice, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

ADAM Quality A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and this website do not claim the information on, or referred to by, this site is error free. This site may include links to websites of other government agencies or private groups. Our Agency and this website do not control such sites and are not responsible for their content. Reference to or links to any other group, product, service, or information does not mean our Agency or this website approves of that group, product, service, or information.

Additionally, while health information provided through this website may be a valuable resource for the public, it is not designed to offer medical advice. Talk with your doctor about medical care questions you may have.