Many babies look a little less than perfect in the first few days or weeks after birth. Gradually they will gain that cute and healthy baby look. Do not be alarmed if your newborn has:. Other physical developmental issues to be aware of in your baby's first month include:. Current as of: September 20, Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: Susan C.
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Skip Navigation. Turn on more accessible mode. Turn off more accessible mode. Skip Ribbon Commands. Skip to main content. Turn off Animations. Turn on Animations. Our Sponsors Log in Register. Log in Register. Ages and Stages. Healthy Living. Safety and Prevention. Family Life. Health Issues. The higher or lower the percentile that is plotted, the bigger or smaller the measurement is respectively for a child compared with other children who are the same age and gender.
As your baby grows, it is important to keep track of these measurements to monitor growth. You should also pay attention to the various developmental milestones that your baby needs to achieve within a certain timeframe.
As always, if you have any worries or concerns, contact your pediatrician immediately. Newborn With a Large Head While a newborn may have a large head size due to heredity, it could also mean that there is a problem in the brain that may require surgery. Baby With an Unusually Small Head If a baby has a smaller than normal head size, it may be related to their parent's head size, preterm birth or it may be an indication of a lack of normal brain development.
Correlation Between Head Size and Autism Risk Earlier studies have claimed that there was a possible correlation between a larger head size and the risk of autism. Head Size and Intelligence If your baby has a bigger head size, he or she will probably have a bigger brain. Growth Charts and Percentiles The website Infant Head Circumference Chart offers an online growth chart calculator that shows how your baby's head circumference compares to other babies.
Monitoring Your Baby As your baby grows, it is important to keep track of these measurements to monitor growth. By Dominique W. Definition of Extended Families. By Michele Meleen. Any number between the fifth percentile and the 95th is considered "normal. It's important to keep in mind that one measurement neither predicts how your baby will grow nor does it necessarily suggest a growth problem. As long as your baby is growing steadily and consistently, there's usually nothing to worry about.
Not to mention, there are lots of factors that affect the growth of healthy growing babies. For example, whether you decide to breast- or bottlefeed will influence your baby's rate of growth in the beginning. Exclusively breastfed babies typically gain weight faster in the first two months of life compared with formula -fed babies. But these infants also tend to grow less rapidly than their formula-fed peers through about 1 year. Ultimately, however, neither breast- or formula-feeding has a long-term effect on a child's growth.
If your pediatrician is concerned about a change in your baby's growth pattern, she will ask you about your child's feeding habits and how many calories she takes in a day to make sure that your child is eating enough.
In addition, your doctor will ask if your baby is hitting her developmental milestones, and about any recent illnesses and other behavior and social conditions. She will examine the baby, looking for a sign of a physical problem that may be a clue to the cause of, say, a large drop in baby's weight percentile. Based on the checkup, the physician may decide to do blood or urine tests, which can detect problems including low blood count, diabetes, and kidney disease — all of which may affect a child's growth.
The growth and development of their baby is an area of both great excitement and concern for parents. Keeping informed, taking baby to his well-baby visits, and working closely with your pediatrician are the first steps to walking assuredly through these amazing times of change.
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