Common characteristics of this rare syndrome include:. Seckel syndrome is a rare condition that causes growth delays in and out of the womb. Common characteristics include:. Microcephaly can also occur when your child is exposed to certain viruses, drugs, or toxins in the womb.
For example, using alcohol or drugs while pregnant can cause microcephaly in children. Infected mosquitos transmit Zika virus to humans. Some people use methylmercury to preserve the seed grain that they feed animals. It can also form in water, leading to contaminated fish. If your baby is exposed to this poison, they may develop brain and spinal cord damage. If you contract the virus that causes German measles , or rubella, within the first 3 months of pregnancy, your baby may develop severe problems.
Other young children are common carriers of this virus. You can find this substance in:. Children diagnosed with this condition will have mild to severe complications. Children with mild complications may have normal intelligence. However, their head circumference will always be small for their age and sex. Dwarfism and short stature are not complications of microcephaly. However, they may be associated with the condition. When you give birth to your baby, the doctor will measure their head circumference.
If they note abnormalities, they may diagnose your child with microcephaly. This will help them detect any abnormalities.
Tell the doctor about them at the next appointment. It will focus on managing complications. If your child has delayed motor function, occupational therapy may benefit them.
If they have delayed language development, speech therapy may help. Nevertheless, head circumference is one of the few pieces of objective information usually included in the referral document.
The dilemma we face in adoption medicine is that we are not only tasked with determining the health status of a child, but are asked to judge whether a child's brain is healthy. We are requested to assist the family in choosing a child who has a good chance of being a happy and productive member of society, able to participate fully in life's joys and opportunities.
It is impossible to inadvertently inflate the OFC unless a stretchable measuring device is used but easy to obtain a measurement that is artifactually small if one does not move the tape around to seek the largest measurement.
This is probably the most common reason why a child has a "small" head circumference. Remeasuring the head around the biggest possible circumference may place the child within the normal range. In rare situations, such as premature closure ossification of the junctions sutures between specific skull bones, brain growth causes the skull to expand upward rather than from front to back. Children with this condition, termed craniosynostosis, may have a small measured OFC but a brain of normal size.
Adoption Medicine Clinic. Serving Children and Families since This area is just above the eyebrows and ears and around the back of the head. She may also send your child for tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging, to make images of the brain.
This could be part of the normal growing process. Usually, boys have larger heads than girls. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone with Ross Bridge Medical Center Pediatrics today. Read on to learn what you should do if your child has a fever. A diabetes diagnosis can be daunting, especially if your child is the one affected.
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