children s health issues
Microcephaly
Diagnosis of Microcephaly
Before birth, ultrasound After birth, physical examination and imaging tests Genetic testing the diagnosis of microcephaly sometimes is made with a routine Ultrasonography done late in the second trimester or early in the third trimester. doctors measure a baby's Head Circumference (the measurement of the head around its largest area) during routine physical examinations. They diagnose microcephaly when the head circumference is significantly smaller than the normal range for babies of the same sex, age, and ethnic group in the region where the baby lives. Occasionally, the diagnosis is made when the baby's head circumference began in the normal range but is not appropriately increasing as the baby ages. When making the diagnosis, doctors also take into account the head circumference of the baby's parents because a slightly small head size may run in the family (a condition called benign familial microcephaly). If microcephaly is present, doctors usually do Computed Tomography (CT) (CT) or A baby who has this birth defect may be evaluated by a geneticist. A geneticist is a doctor who specializes in genetics (the science of genes and how certain qualities or traits are passed from parents to offspring). Genetic testing of a sample of the baby's blood may be done to look for chromosome and gene abnormalities. This testing can help doctors determine whether a specific genetic disorder is the cause and rule out other causes. 