BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Pediatrics My daughter and possible Hydrocephalus

Here is my dilemma. I am hoping that someone will have some insight for me. My daughter Jocelyn's pediatrician wants to have a CT scan done on her head b/c it is large. She has already had an Ultrasound done when she was 4months old and it came back perfectly fine. But she is 6 months old now and her head grew another inch from 4-6 months. I really need a second opinion. But obviously a Specialist won't give me one without the CT scan and that is what I really don't want to do. It would require traveling to University of Michigan Hospital, a two day stay, and sedation. I really don't want to go through all of that if it isn't necessary. I have been doing many many days of research on Hydrocephalus, so I am not an uneducated mother that just "doesn't feel like traveling with her daughter to the hospital" or "a mom that just doesn't care or isn't concerned". I strongly feel that this is an unneccessary procedure. I am very uneasy towards the sedation part, obviously because she is so young. Here are Jocelyn's stats. I will also post pictures of her head. I will also post pictures of my head at the same age and a little bit older.

Jocelyn: born 6 weeks early due to preeclempsia
4lb 4oz 17" long and a head cir of 12"
Jocelyn NOW: 6 months and 1 week old
14lb 12oz 25" long and a head cir of 18" (pretty much an inch for every month)

She DOES NOT have: any irritability, hard time eating, fussiness whatsoever, bulging soft spot, lethargic.

she is developmentally on track with being 6 months old (she has already caught up from being a preemie)
And her head circ matches her widest part on her chest, which I read online that from the age 6 months to 2 years a childs head size is usually the same size as their chest measurement. From 4-6 months I have been measuring her head/chest each month. And it has been equal each month. This picture was taken a few days ago. I am also posting a picture of me with my cousin. I was 11months and she was almost 6 years old. Notice the head size difference! My head was ALWAYS off the charts growing up. Then the picture of me after my bath was at 6 months. And the other was at 9 months old. Notice the resemblance in head shape. Large in the back smaller towards the front. If anyone can be of any help I GREATLY appreciate it.

I can understand your concern - sedating a young infant without any symptoms who is developing normally in many ways sounds odd. At the same time, if there is a problem, you definitely want it to be identified early.

As a pediatrician who has been in your pediatrician's shoes many times, one step you could ask for is a referral to a pediatric neurologist. In my area, that is the person who usually makes the call about whether a CT is needed because they have the patient experience to help decide whether what we are seeing in an infant is just a large head or something more. While your pediatrician can do a great neurologic examination, pediatric neurologists are trained to pick up on very subtle things that may tip the balance.

Large heads also run in families and neurologists can often tell by measuring your head and your husband's if familial issues are at play.

A CT may be needed but push a bit more to talk to a pediatric neurologist first. If nothing else, that person can give you the ins and outs of why the test is needed so you will feel better about having a test done on an infant that looks so well.

By the way, I hope you are also letting your pediatrician know how you feel...