29 Dec Ever wondered why does the doctor measure your baby’s head circumference every time they see baby

Does anyone ever look at our baby’s blue book to check the head circumference progression

Did you know that baby’s head circumference is an important indicator of baby’s brain growth?
Here at My Favourite Physio, our Paediatric Physiotherapists carry out a full assessment on all babies when we first meet them, including checking baby’s blue book for their growth charts because it can give us clues on what’s causing a baby’s developmental delay.

Head circumference is a direct measurement of baby’s brain growth over time. There are specific head circumference growth charts for boys and girls aged of 0 to 2 years old. 3 Key Features to look out for when reading and interpreting baby’s head circumference growth charts:

1. The percentile that baby’s head circumference is at birth, should be the same percentile line that baby’s head circumference measures as they grow. For example, if baby’s head circumference at birth sits on the 50th percentile line, that’s what baby should stay on as they grow older.

2. If baby’s head circumference is not increasing over time, then they start to “fall off” the percentile line that they were on at birth. Once baby’s head circumference readings cut across 2 different percentile lines, it is a major concern. If Baby’s head circumference falls below the 3rd percentile line, it is also a concern. It indicates that baby’s brain is not growing.

3. If baby’s head circumference suddenly increases rapidly over time, then they start to “climb up” the percentile lines above that they were on at birth. Once baby’s head circumference readings cut across 2 different percentile lines, it is a major concern. If Baby’s head circumference is higher than the 97th percentile line, it is also a concern. It indicates that baby’s head is growing too fast, which may mean there’s fluid or tumours in the brain.

So if you are concerned about your child’s development and head size, reach out to My Favourite Physio on (02)9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today.