https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:24:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1989461 Thu, 18 Dec 2014 07:30:50 +0000 Orchid 1989461@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@keepcalmcarrie: awesome!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1989427 Thu, 18 Dec 2014 04:21:34 +0000 Pumuckl 1989427@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So glad all is well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1989411 Thu, 18 Dec 2014 02:57:51 +0000 lamariniere 1989411@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@keepcalmcarrie: good news! What a relief! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1989374 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 23:56:02 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1989374@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@keepcalmcarrie: that's great news! I hope you feel lots of relief. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1989369 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 23:46:21 +0000 HLK208 1989369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@keepcalmcarrie: poor guy!! But I'm so glad he's okay! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1989359 Wed, 17 Dec 2014 23:33:07 +0000 keepcalmcarrie 1989359@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Update: We had the CAT scan this morning, and everything checked out fine - such a relief! No excess fluid around the brain, nothing else concerning. They're noting "benign familial macrocephaly" in his chart so it's confirmed for any future docs/nurses and it's established for our next LO. </p> <p>The actual procedure didn't go very well with J, but that didn't surprise me. He started crying hard as we were laying him back onto the table, worked up to hysterics when I had to leave the room, and didn't calm down until I came back in 5+ minutes later and we pulled an episode of Sesame Street up on DH's phone. But I left again, he cried a little but settled down, and the scan was over in less than 2 minutes.</p> <p>Thank you all so much for your advice/insight/thoughts! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983581 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 21:51:32 +0000 Maysprout 1983581@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Best wishes. My Lo has been cruising way above the 99th percentile curve until we moved and switched pediatricians. She now tracks more right on the 99th percentile line. Maybe those few months she changed her curve but I don't think head measuring is an exact science either and it had more to do with changing practices. We were told though that as long as she was meeting milestones and just was a big baby in general they weren't worried (She's only 13 months though). It'll be good to rule concerns out for you guys, sorry you guys have to go through that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983282 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 13:38:06 +0000 mrsbubbletea 1983282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a peds nurse, and I know this probably won't help, but kiddos are so resilient (way more than adults!), and what someone says about him running around in the hall 10 min after it's done is so true. And I know you are sad you can't be with him during, but you get to be the happy face he sees afterwards who comforts him and tells him it's all over! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983276 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 13:31:58 +0000 macintosh 1983276@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I should add that my DH actually did have hydrocephalus, caused by his brain injury. What is awesome is he only had one surgery for it - to place a shunt that drains the fluid. Now that it's in place the doctor checks it with a CT scan once a year. It has a magnetic valve that they can use to adjust the rate of flow so he (most likely) will never need surgery again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983213 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:44:27 +0000 Orchid 1983213@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO has a big head too and for the first few well visits the pediatrician would measure his head after the nurses did. The nurse measurements would show LO way above the 99 percentile curve, but the doctor's measures were always around 99 percentile. I think it could very much be that the pediatrician do measure differently. I </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983210 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 10:36:22 +0000 macintosh 1983210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm sorry you're going through this. My DH has had many CT scans. I just want you to know that it's a quick process, like an X-ray. He just has to lie back on a table and be still for a couple minutes. It's not an enclosed machine, and he does not have to lie still for 30 minutes like an MRI.</p> <p>I hope they find out it's nothing. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983115 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 07:38:46 +0000 yerpie110 1983115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How far off his own curve is he? My daughter has always had a large head (99th percentile) thanks to DH, and she's created her own curve for her head growth. My ped has always said as long as she stays on her own curve, it's all good. She did have a head ultrasound when she was around 6 weeks to rule out hydrocephalus, but nothing since then. I think changing peds probably has to do with it as well, as she was seen twice by a different ped in our office when our normal one was out, and that ped wanted further testing, but our regular ped said it was unwarranted and unneeded. Thinking of you guys :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983062 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 02:57:18 +0000 lamariniere 1983062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No experience, but I just wanted to send a hug. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983059 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 02:17:30 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1983059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a friend who went through all of this and everything is fine.</p> <p>I'm sorry you are going through this right now! maybe you can kind of orwxtice with him? Like being still. I agree and blank or would really help.</p> <p>Hugs </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983037 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 00:08:24 +0000 BabyPenguinXO 1983037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just wanted to say hang in there mama! I'm Sorry you all have to go through this and I hope everything turns okay! https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983036 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 00:08:04 +0000 autumnlove 1983036@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our pediatrician was a little concerned about LO 2's head size and fontenelle and she ordered some skull X-rays earlier this year. The radiologist wasn't concerned with the results . Lo is now 19 months with an almost 20 inch head.</p> <p>I hope everything goes well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983034 Sat, 13 Dec 2014 00:05:43 +0000 Chuckles 1983034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is the concern based on a measurement the old pediatrician took compared to a measurement from the new pediatrician? How much bigger was his head this time compared to last time? I ask because my LO has a huge head and when a new nurse measured, it looked like it had grown a lot, but when our regular doctor remeasured it was fine. He said there can be a lot of error if two people don't measure in exactly the same way. It sounds like this is a bigger issue, but wanted to share our experience. I hope it turns out to be nothing! Also, my LO had to have an upper GI x-ray a couple months ago where he had to be immobilized in a big machine too. It was extremely upsetting to me and he was hysterical the whole time, but you know what? Maybe 20 minutes later he was happily playing in the waiting room. He got over it a lot faster than I did. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/ct-scan-for-head-circumference#post-1983017 Fri, 12 Dec 2014 23:21:17 +0000 keepcalmcarrie 1983017@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Poor J - it is one thing after another the past two days.</p> <p>I mentioned in another thread that we just moved and got established with a new pediatrician practice - we had our first appointment with a nurse practitioner yesterday.</p> <p>J has always had a head at or above the 99th percentile since birth. There is a family history of large heads on both sides. His prior pediatrician did head checks for the first few months to rule out hydrocephalus, but he stayed on the same growth curve (just above the top line) so they said he was fine. At his 18 month appointment, he'd moved up slightly on his own curve but not enough to cause alarm. His fontanelle was also still very open, which the doctor said was uncommon but not unheard of. He basically said the circumference and the open fontanelle were things to note and recheck at the 2 year well visit.</p> <p>Well, yesterday's head check with the new pediatrician didn't go smoothly. At 21 months, his head measured 21.5 inches, which looks like it's way off the curve. They called our old pediatrician and said that the latest measurement is plotting too high up above his already high curve to be comfortable, so we have to take him in for a CT scan next week to rule out hydrocephalus or some other "growth" that could be causing this. His fontanelle is still definitely open, to a degree that she doesn't think it will entirely close by age 2.</p> <p>The nurse and doctor both said that they don't think there's anything physically or developmentally wrong - he's 98th percentile for weight and 80th for height (he dropped slightly in height % but that's not a concern) so he's a big kid all around, not just his head. He is ahead or on track for all physical and verbal milestones. But they want to rule out any causes other than family history of huge heads.</p> <p>I'm kind of sick about this. I'm pregnant so I can't go in with him for the scan, though my husband can. He's going to be very scared, and he hates being immobilized. I really hope there's nothing wrong - and I really, really don't think there is, so I'm sad he has to go through this. I guess I have a few questions: If your only somewhat verbal LO has had a CT scan or scans, how did you prepare them? How did the experience go? Could they bring something like a blankie into "the machine" with them? And finally - anyone's LO have a head measuring that large? He doesn't look abnormal to me, but I couldn't believe how high above the curve that measurement was.</p> <p>I'm 35 weeks pregnant, hormonal, worried, and just fed up with everything right now. Thanks for letting me vent/share/ask questions/get this off my chest :( </p>