Microcephaly

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Microcephaly is a rare condition where an infant’s head is much smaller than expected for their age. Microcephaly can lead to other medical conditions, such as seizures and facial distortions.

Symptoms

The main symptom of microcephaly is having a head that is a lot smaller than expected for the infant’s age. Many children with microcephaly may also experience developmental delays, dwarfism, problems with movement/balance, and impaired vision or hearing.

Causes

Microcephaly can occur if there is a problem with brain development in the prenatal or postnatal stages. Causes of microcephaly are still largely unknown, but some cases may be caused by infections passed from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy, severe malnutrition (prenatal and postnatal), or exposure to drugs, alcohol, radiation, or toxic chemicals during pregnancy.

Treatment

There is no cure for microcephaly; however, there are some treatments that can help treat symptoms. Many people with mild microcephaly do not need any special treatments, but for other cases, speech, physical, and occupational therapy can help with a child’s developmental delays. Medications may also be used to treat seizures or other symptoms. Another option for treatment is surgery, but it can only be performed on babies who have microcephaly due to craniosynostosis (skull bones fuse too early).

Sources:

Johns Hopkins Medicine

CDC

Mayo Clinic