Petition calls for improved head circumference monitoring in babies

A petition is calling on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care for a review of the routine checks carried out on babies brains in England.

In just a few days, more than 1,200 people have added their signatures in support of Harry's Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust (Harry's HAT) as the charity urges Victoria Atkins MP to assess the current guidelines around routine head circumference monitoring in infancy. The practise, which involves wrapping a paper tape measure around a baby's head and recording the result, can help to detect serious brain conditions like hydrocephalus.

In Britain, it's recommend that head measurements should be taken twice in the first eight weeks of a baby's life - at birth and during the 6-8 week check. However, Harry's HAT warns those measurements aren't always recorded, and that the monitoring falls far short of that taking place in other high-income countries across the world.

Caroline Coates is the CEO of Harry's Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust: "Our research shows that the UK is lagging far behind other developed countries when it comes to measuring babies heads during the first year of life. The research we carried out found that for example, a baby born in England will receive just two routine measurements. Whereas a baby born in Finland, or Norway, will receive 10 and 11 measurements during the first year of life, respectively.

"This work shows why we need a review of the current guidelines for routine head circumference measurement across the UK. We would encourage you to consider signing our public petition, which will be used to support our calls for change, and an open letter signed by dozens of neurosurgeons. The aim is to present these to the UK Government, in the hope that they will support a review of current practice."

Why does head circumference matter in babies?

The skull houses and protects arguably the most important organ in the human body: the brain.

A rapidly growing, unusually large, or slow growing skull can be the first sign of a potential problem that may need further exploration by a specialist. Measuring and recording a baby's head circumference over a period of time can reveal trends in head growth and is most useful when plotted on the correct chart for the baby's age and sex in the 'Red Book'.

What is hydrocephalus?

Every year, around 1 in 770 babies born in the UK will develop hydrocephalus, previously referred to as 'water on the brain'.

It is a potentially life-threatening condition where excess fluid builds up inside the brain causing pressure, which can lead to brain damage. If left untreated, hydrocephalus can be fatal - but treatments are available. Early diagnosis and referral are important to ensure the best possible outcome for every child.

Symptoms of hydrocephalus

Symptoms of hydrocephalus that is present from birth, also known as congenital hydrocephalus, include but are not limited to:

• An unusually large/rapidly growing head
• A thin and shiny scalp with easily visible veins
• A bulging or tense soft spot on the top of a baby's head
• downward looking eyes
• vomiting
• poor feeding
• lethargy

Victoria Glover's son was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at 10-months-old and has since required four brain surgeries to manage his condition. The 33-year-old told us she had no idea that head circumference measurements could reveal so much about a baby's health until her own son was diagnosed. "From my own personal experience of having a baby, I didn’t feel there was much, if any, emphasis on the importance of baby head circumference measurement during pregnancy or in the postpartum period. It didn't even occur to me that measuring the head was even a check on your baby's brain.

"Having now watched our son endure multiple brain surgeries and having fully realised the importance of head circumference monitoring, it frightens me that many parents and parents-to-be still aren't aware of why or when head circumference should. Raising awareness is so important so that parents feel empowered to ask for the measurement if it isn't taken and I think increased monitoring to bring Britain in line with other developed countries has to make logical sense to avoid babies slipping through the net with potentially life threatening conditions going undetected."

If you'd like to support this petition, click here.

Hear the latest news from across the UK every hour, on Jazz FM on DAB, smartspeaker, and on the Rayo app

• hydrocephalus