What Is Brachycephaly?

When the head circumference is lower than 2 standard deviations (SD) compared with normal children, it is diagnosed as microcephaly.

Microcephaly

When the head circumference is lower than 2 standard deviations (SD) compared with normal children, it is diagnosed as microcephaly.

TCM disease name

Microcephaly

English name

microcephaly

Common causes

Pregnancy: malnutrition, radiation; metabolic abnormalities, chromosomal aberrations; family hereditary microcephaly; hypoxia, infection at birth

Common symptoms

Head circumference is less than 2 standard deviations (SD) from normal children

There are many reasons for small head deformities. Various harmful factors (infection, malnutrition, poisoning, radiation) in the early pregnancy may affect the development of the fetal brain. Metabolic abnormalities, chromosomal aberrations (such as trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13 or other abnormalities) are also often associated with microcephaly, and there are some family hereditary microcephaly. Various causes (hypoxia, infection, trauma) at birth or after birth can also cause brain damage and brain atrophy, and the head circumference becomes smaller, which is called secondary microcephaly.

Some small malformed brains are normal but normal, while others have obvious malformations or enlarged ventricles.

The top of the child's head is small and pointed, the forehead is narrow, the cranial fornix is small, the occipital is flat, the face and ears look relatively large, the forehead and bone sutures are closed prematurely, and there may be interosseous condyles.

The physical and mental development of children with microcephaly are often backward, but not all children with microcephaly are associated with mental retardation. About 7.5% of children with normal head circumference are 2-3 standard deviations below normal. Some children have convulsions and / or cerebral palsy. CT showed cerebral atrophy, widening of the ventricle and subarachnoid space, and some showed only small brain size, while other structures were normal.

Another can also be manifested as a small head syndrome, called Rett syndrome. According to the 1984 Vienna International Conference on Special Topics, the diagnostic criteria are as follows: girl onset; normal prenatal and perinatal period, normal neuropsychiatric and motor development 6 to 18 weeks after birth; head circumference is basically normal at birth, after birth 6 months to 4 years of age with progressive developmental delay and small heads; 1 year and a half to 4 years of age gradually decline in intelligence, and the connection with the surrounding area is reduced; 1 to 4 years of age gradually lose the skills of the acquired hand, the appearance of repeated stereotypes Tapping, rubbing, and twisting with both hands, accompanied by paroxysmal hyperventilation, gnashing, or staring; reduced walking, gait changes or ataxia; there may be a stable phase in the course of the sickness, and then epilepsy and pyramidal signs appear. The cause of this syndrome is unclear and there is no specific treatment.