I came across this information by chance that correlates the head large head size of a baby with autism. According to various sources (although a bit old now so hopefully this was not established?), ASD kids are born with smaller than average heads and then due to growth spurts, their head sizes quickly fall within percentile ranges of 85% or something...some say it is abnormal growth, some say it is swelling or something...just what I have understood, don't quote me on that.
http://www.cranialsubluxations.com/medical_research/increase _in_head_size_may_predict_autism.htm
http://www.protectingourhealth.org/newscience/learning/2003/ 2003-0716courchesneetal.htm
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3948
It got me thinking about my HFA son, after six weeks, he gained weight at a rapid pace and I remember making a comment to a friend that his head seems so large, especially when I compared my baby to others. This was brushed off. In a few months though, it looked better, more in line with the body. Now about my baby, he was fine but just about a week or so, I have noticed that he has gained a lot of weight, expecially his head looks BIG...not so much as my older one though, but definitely bigger than babies of same age (we have about 4 in our circle). Tell me I am obcessing over nothing. I do not think I could cope with another child on the spectrum, more importantly this thing and the risk factor of ASD in the siblings has ruined this time for me, the time that I should be enjoying. I am worried sick that he too will be affected.
Does your ASD child have a bigger than average head? If you have other NT children, how do their head sizes compare? Actually my husband has a bigger than average head, and it runs in his family so it could be a family trait as well. My son's head looks perfectly normal now, slightly wider at the top like his dad but definitely not noticeably bigger or anything.
I am totally freaking out. Will this misery of constantly trying to guess if your second child has ASD ever end???
Mary
For what it's worth, both my kids had huge heads when they were born and they are still at the very high end for percentiles. That being said, they are VERY tall kids as well. Ds is at the 75th-80th percentile for height and my dd just came onto the charts at the 97th percentile for height. Both kids were over 10 pounds when born. Their heads don't seem disproportionate and neither had a huge growth spurt for their head either.
My dd is NT and my ds is on the mild end of the spectrum.
About epidemiological studies (my dh is an epidemiologist, btw) - they take statistics from a large amount of people. So, what they can say is that OVERALL this is the trend. However, they are not always good when applied to individual cases. Because there are always exceptions to the rule. And, as we have lots of evidence on this board - our kids do not fit neatly into any particular groove. When you have seen one child with ASD, you have seen one child with ASD.
I'm not saying the study is wrong - just that it doesn't mean that just because your ds' head did this - that he will have autism.
I would go back and find out what his head circumference was at birth - maybe that will reassure you. Perhaps his head was just always big? I think that given that your dh has a big head - it could be a family trait.
I know it's hard to do - but TRY to enjoy your baby's babyhood. You never will get this time back! If he is on the spectrum, you will catch it early and get lots of intervention. You will be able to do it. Trust me, I know some of what you're feeling. I did the same thing with my dd, although I at least got to enjoy her first 8-9 months (before we suspected ds was on the spectrum).
I don't mean to discourage you, but for me, I still haven't completely stopped worrying. At this point, it is somewhat irrational as the dev ped evaluated her and told me that, while he understood my concerns, she is NOT on the spectrum. I trust this guy fully as he diagnosed my son when almost no one else would (he is on the mild end of the spectrum). My dd is VERY bright (started sounding out words at just past 2 1/2). She has a hard time socializing with kids her age. However, she socializes extremely well with kids who are a year or two older - takes turns, shares, gets other kids to compromise with her about what to play, etc. She has some quirks, but her skills in social areas are way beyond what ds' were at her age.
It is okay to worry a little - it is only natural! But don't obsess. Get counseling if you need it. Or talk a LOT to other friends who have kids on the spectrum. Get him evaluated if you see any signs (besides the large head). But take the time and enjoy this time with him. Try to make some time each day where you only have the baby to care for and ENJOY that time. Play with him, sing to him, read to him. It will help you form more of a bond with him and you will start to feel better, hopefully. This worked for me - but do whatever you can to try to not obsess about it. You will regret not enjoying the time with him, I think.
Good luck to you and keep us posted!
This subject has come up before. It's an interresting topic. For some, it seems to ring true. For others, it doesn't. Both of my sons have always consistently measured in the upper percentiles for height, weight, and head circumference. The percentage they fell into never varied. Here are some past threads on this:
http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17191&am p;KW=head+size
http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6102& ;KW=head+size
My son has a large head. It was really noticable when he was younger and didn't have much hair because it is also mishapen. Flat in the back. Shirts are always hard to get over his head and when he was younger kids at church would comment on how big his head was because it was so noticable. Now that he has hair and a thick head of it you can't really tell. I have to be careful when he gets hair cuts that they don't cut too close in the back. Haydens head was in the 25th percentile at birth but quickly caught up within the next few months. Im not sure the circumfrence now but id say he has a large head but it doesnt look abnormal where someone would stop and think "wow your kid has a huge head!"Big head here!Oh my God, I thought I was the ONLY one going through this.
Mary This subject has come up before. It's an interresting topic. For some, it seems to ring true. For others, it doesn't. Both of my sons have always consistently measured in the upper percentiles for height, weight, and head circumference. The percentage they fell into never varied. Here are some past threads on this: http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17191&am p;am p;KW=head+size http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6102& ; ;KW=head+size [/QUOTE] Hi, and thanks for posting those links to previous threads. I usually do a search first but my brain was sooo fried this time. Anyway, interesting to read that most of the people seemed to agree with the study. More interestingly, I notice boys with ASD are bigger and taller on average. This is so true for us too, my son always coming around 95%+ range for height. So even with a big head, its not that noticeable, know what I mean? Mary our kids do not fit neatly into any particular groove. When you have seen one child with ASD, you have seen one child with ASD. [/QUOTE] Hi snoopy woman, My son's head was mishapen because of the emergency C-section, but the size was okay (smaller actually, I just checked his book), it only started to grow disproportionately maybe a month or so after and then the rest of him caught up too. He is also a big, tall and strong boy. My baby's head doesn't look that bad, he is a very chubby baby too but both my son's heads are flatter at the backs, with very little hair, and their shapes look weird, like an oval, american football sort. (at about 3 months) But you are right, all ASD kids are different. Thanks for your lovely, encouraging words.
Mary Ya'll need to go measure your own heads. Really! I mean that with no sarcasm! When Cole was an infant, he had preemie-related feeding issues and we took him to a gastroenterologist. He was in such tummy pain when he tried to eat(the baby), that he nearly stopped growing. The doc asked us AWFUL questions including whether or not we had dwarfism on either side of the family. Cole's head was bigger percentile wise than his body, but his preemie status explained it. THEN, the doctor started looking me and DH up and down. He asked us how tall, how much we weighed, our parents' sizes in general. Then he measured our heads! He looked us up in some chart he uses and both DH and I are fat heads! 97 percentile (his is all smarts, mine is all sass). Said not to worry about our kid's head...it'll be big like ours.
middle one does too. She finally grew into her head in the last couple of
years. Someone commented a while back that they would make good news
anchors. (Big heads on T.V. I guess is a good thing)My little one is big headed too, and started out that way. He was born in the 95% and is now off the charts, although seems to be holding at around 105 or somewhere close. If it's comforting at all, I'm big headed too And as far as I know, I'm NT.[QUOTE=WIMomOf2]
Copyright Autism-PDD.net