Service Details

Microcephaly

• Microcephaly

Microcephaly is a rare neurological condition in which an infant's head is much smaller than the heads of other children of the same age and sex. Sometimes detected at birth, microcephaly often occurs when there is a problem with brain development in the womb or when the brain stops growing after birth.

Microcephaly can be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors. Children with microcephaly often have developmental issues. Although there's no treatment for microcephaly, early intervention with speech, occupational and other supportive therapies may help enhance a child's development and improve quality of life.

Symptoms

The primary symptom of microcephaly is having a head size that is much smaller than that of other children of the same age and sex.

Head size is a measure of the distance around the top of the child's head (circumference). Using standardized growth charts, health care providers compare the measurement with other children's measurements in percentiles.

Some children just have small heads, with a measurement that falls below an established value for children of the same age and sex. In children with microcephaly, head size measures much smaller than average for the child's age and sex.