Increased Head CircumferenceSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Increased Head Circumference
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.
Macrocephaly
A newborn's head is usually about 2 cm (0.78 inch) 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.
Measurements over time that show an increased rate of head growth often provide more valuable information than a single measurement that is larger than expected.
Increased pressure inside the head (increased intracranial pressure) often occurs with increased head circumference. Symptoms of this condition include:
- Eyes moving downward
- Irritability
- Vomiting
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)
- Bleeding inside the skull
- Disease in which the body is unable to break down long chains of sugar molecules (Hurler or Morquio syndrome)
Your health care provider usually finds an increased head size in a baby during a routine well-baby exam.
A careful physical exam will be done. Other milestones for growth and development will be checked.
In some cases, a single measurement is enough to confirm that there is a size increase that needs to be tested further. More often, repeated measurements of the head circumference over time are needed to confirm that the head circumference is increased and the problem is getting worse.
Diagnostic tests that may be ordered include:
- Head CT scan
- MRI of the head
- Cranial ultrasound
Treatment depends on the cause of the increased head size. For example, for hydrocephalus, surgery may be needed to relieve the buildup of fluid inside the skull.
ETSU Physicians & Associates- Pediatrics
Alvaro Russi is a Pediatrics provider practicing medicine in Johnson City, Tennessee. Dr. Russi is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Increased Head Circumference. He is also highly rated in 125 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Increased Head Circumference, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Chromosome 8p Deletion, and Chromosome 6q Duplication. Dr. Russi is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics and American Board Of Medical Genetics.
M Health Fairview Explorer Pediatric Specialty Clinic
William Dobyns is a Pediatrics specialist and a Neurologist practicing medicine in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been practicing medicine for over 48 years. Dr. Dobyns is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Increased Head Circumference. He is also highly rated in 46 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Increased Head Circumference, Lissencephaly, Cerebellar Hypoplasia, and Cortical Dysplasia. Dr. Dobyns is board certified in Clinical Genetics And Genomics: American Board Of Medical Genetics And Genomics, 1987. Dr. Dobyns is currently accepting new patients.
Ghayda Mirzaa is a Medical Genetics specialist and a Pediatrics provider practicing medicine in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Mirzaa is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Increased Head Circumference. She is also highly rated in 19 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Increased Head Circumference, Cortical Dysplasia, Achalasia Microcephaly Syndrome, and Microcephaly. Dr. Mirzaa is currently accepting new patients.
Summary: Brain somatic mutations are increasingly recognized as a major cause of focal epilepsies. These include mTOR pathway mutations underlying cortical malformations such as focal cortical dysplasia and hemimegalencephaly, and SLC35A2 mutations in MOGHE, and activating variants in the SHH pathway in hypothalamic hamartomas. This study aims to identify brain somatic mutations using paired blood-brain sa...
Summary: PtenTurkiye.org' is a national ( Turkish), web-based registry for PTEN Hamartoma Tumour ( PHTS) syndrome established in 2022. It is designed to increase awareness, gather scientific knowledge by collaboration and increase data accessibility, collect high-quality data on the epidemiology, genetic background and natural history of PHTS especially for pediatric patients so that more accurate follow u...
Published Date: April 05, 2025
Published By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Bamba V, Kelly A. Assessment of growth. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 27.
Mitchell AL. Congenital anomalies. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 29.