My son is 6 months and at his check-up last week the nurse practitioner we saw stressed concern over the size of his head (49 cm). Our regular pediatrician is on vacation for three weeks and we aren't given the option to contact for her input. The NP contacted a neurosurgeon and both think my son should have a CT scan. Our regular ped has never stated a concern and his head size has always been big (90th percentile at birth, 100th since 2 months old. He is big all over, too.
We hesitate jumping towards a CT when he has no other symptoms of something bad. We think he just has a big head like my husband. We do want to do what is best for him, but we are told that it is okay to wait to meet with our regular doc but then told he should get the CT ASAP. This is confusing and unsettling. Any advice, suggestions or experience with this? We do have an appointment next week with another doctor for a second opinion. We are a bit put off that we can't even leave a voice mail or send an email to our regular doctor.
Thank you to all who responded. I scheduled an appointment for second opinion as well as an appointment with our current pediatrician when she gets back. I appreciate all the feedback!
I don't think I would rush into anything either, especially if there are no other symptoms. I would get the second opinion, wait to hear from my regular ped, and make a decision from there. Don't let them bully you into an invasive procedure. Take the time to get more information.
Well of course you can not get a hold of your Dr. he is probably on vaca. wait for next week and get the second opinion.
This same thing happend to me! My daughter has a large head that is wider from front to back. Instead of wider from side to side. The doctor suggested a ct. It was a nightmare! If you decide to go forward make sure you go the route of a ct that they can put the child to sleep for a few moments. We tried the other way first and she would not lie still. It was very stressful and my husband was very angry that they would think a 5 month old baby could lie still for 20 minutes being strapped in with this big loud machine going over her! In the end, as I knew in my heart, there was nothing wrong. We had a top neurosurgeon view her films and all was well. I think her head was shaped they way it was because she was breach and there was not enough room for her head to grow normally. Also, my dad and husband both have fairly large heads. She doesn't look strange and really never did! She is 3 and half now! My daughter also had no symptoms of anything being wrong. I would get that second opinion and talk to your regular pediatrician. I do not think it is appropriate that the nurse practioner handled things this way and I would let the doctors office know that. With that being said, I don't regret going through the process. However, it was expensive and we have insurance. It still cost us over $500 to be told what I already know! That everything was fine. You never want to hesitate if there is something wrong or that can be supported when it comes to your child. I would switch doctors after all of this. You should be able to leave a voicemail or email for the doctor to respond to. Your child is still their patient even when they are on vacation and no one else knows your child's history and your family history as well as the current doctor! It was a stressful time for us but it all worked out fine! Good Luck.
1) if there have been no health symptoms, building or acute, what is their reasoning for not waiting for your doc?
2) I HAD THIS PROBLEM. Although there are big head in my family, the kids' dad has a regular head and I have a small one, so the pediatrician kind of increasingly pressured me until my first daughter was like 8 months when he finally declared that she needed scanning and all this panic stuff. This was very very hard to hear. (Her head was literally off the charts. As was #2. #3 and #4 are 'just' big.)
Thank goodness I stuck to my guns. My first was a very happy, healthy (except right after vaccinations) baby.
I asked a key question: OK, what are the symptoms of hyper-whatever-it-is (the brain-swelling, was what he was hyping out on)? (Hyper cephalism, maybe.)
The symptoms were so incredibly the absolute OPPOSITE of my baby. As I recall, extreme fussiness (she didn't cry hardly at all), something about sleeping poorly (NOT a problem), and vomitting (in her first nine months she spit up, I kid you not, twice, and vomitted once). [yes, my other babies were more normal ;). ] And despite shooting down every single symptom that he could come up with except the big head (so, every functional _health_ _problem_)m he still tried to insist it could be a 'sneaky case' and I should go in to see the pediatric neurologist.
Whom he then called. Who of course said, having no input except that call, "well, um, yeah, probably they should come in." (Ask a surgeon how to fix a problem, they will say surgery.)
Frankly, the whole experience was our last regular commitment to allopathic care. When I ask for the science and all I get is "YOU MUST FEAAARRRRRR!"--forget that. At least when I argue from science and experience with my naturopath he listens.
So, yes, you might have a medical problem, and for sure listen and see if they can tell you any reasons why they are concerned that make sense to you as the most careful observer of your child. But remember that the medical schools teach doctors to consider all the problems that are possible. I mean, good grief, until recently they treated _birth_ like a medical emergency! And that's ignoring the very real problem doctors today face with liability lawsuits, and their very real need to try to protect themselves (and their partners, and their families) from lawsuits by people whose problems they didn't catch.
The last thing I will say here: those standard charts, at least last time I was looking into this, were all from the 1940s. Look around you in a mall or a church ... almost all the babies have "biggish" heads now, compared to pictures and cartoons of that period and earlier. We have better nutrition and are aiming to eat all of our omega threes and suchlike that specifically build brains ... and frankly, I think we are just seeing "success."
Watch your baby. Ask for help if the baby is sick. If the baby is fine, and all your friends and family haven't said "wow, he seems especially (some symptom that indicates the problem the medical professional is worried about)"--probably the medical professional is wrong.
If your intuition tells you to get the test, though, get the test. Because sometimes we know things we need to, for 'no reason.'
God bless!
Hey K.,
I think getting a second opinion is the way to go - which you are already doing.
My mom had a CT scan. She was strapped down and told not to move. She said the machine was loud and made banging noises from time to time. The nurses told her that most adults need to be lightly sedated (ie. given a valium).
I know sedating a baby/toddler is more dangerous, so I'm not sure what the options are for them. However, if you decide to have the CT, I agree with one of the pp to ask about your options before the appointment.
If I were you, I would get that second opinion and then, depending upon how concerned this second doctor is, I would either wait for your pediatrician to return to get his opinion or get the CT done ASAP.
I have said a prayer for you and your family. Best of luck with this. M.
K.,
I would go with the second opinion. Then make an informed decision.
My son (oldest of twins) has a spot on his back that was checked at birth, but nothing was ever said. The doctor at the time didn't seem worried.
Now, the new pediatrician wants an MRI to double check it since he is taking serious the disease that runs through our family (dad's side) that can affect anything in the midline of the body...David doesn't have any symptom's, but the doctor wants to rule out anything that can affect him later in life (dad has degenerative disc disease; cousin has scoliosis...etc.).
Go with the 2nd opinion and make an informed decision based off what you feel and know of your child and the family history.
Good luck,
T.
