Common questions

What is the normal head circumference?

What is the normal head circumference?

The average head circumference at birth is about 13.5 in. (34.5 cm).

What is average head circumference CM?

According to Wikipedia, one study in the United States shows, the average adult head circumference to be 55cm (21 3⁄4 ) in females and 57cm (22 1⁄2 in) in males. Another study conducted in UK shows a slightly different result: with the average female head size being 55.2 cm and the average male head size being 57.2 cm.

What is a normal size baby head?

The average newborn’s head measures 13 3/4 in (35 cm) Generally, a newborn’s head is about half the baby’s body length in cm plus 10 cm. So a baby that is 18 inches long would be 45.7 centimeters (18 x 2.54). His or her head would be about 32.9 cm or a little under 13 inches.

What is 3rd percentile head circumference?

Data Table of Infant Head Circumference-for-age Charts

Age (in months) 3rd Percentile Head Circumference (in centimeters) 90th Percentile Head Circumference (in centimeters)
0 31.48762 37.97379
0.5 33.25006 39.24989
1.5 35.78126 41.12605
2.5 37.5588 42.48436

What does head size indicate?

He says measuring the size of the head does give some indication of how big the brain is. Hurlburt: Even though head size also depends on factors such as the muscularity of the head and thickness of the bone, it’s very likely that a bigger head means a bigger brain.

What does large head circumference indicate?

Children with macrocephaly have a head circumference (the measurement around the widest part of the head) that is greater than the 98th percentile. Sometimes a large head means that there is a problem in the brain which might require surgery.

Does having a small head mean anything?

Microcephaly is a condition where the head (circumference) is smaller than normal. Microcephaly may be caused by genetic abnormalities or by drugs, alcohol, certain viruses, and toxins that are exposed to the fetus during pregnancy and damage the developing brain tissue.

What’s the average head circumference at 24 months?

24 Months – 95 th percentile head circumference is around 49 centimeters. 5 th percentile is around 45 centimeters. 36 Months – 95 th percentile head circumference is around 51 centimeters. 5 th percentile is around 46 centimeters. Keep in mind that for both boys and girls, it’s not really about percentiles.

How to read a head circumference chart for girls?

36 Months – 95 th percentile head circumference is around 52 centimeters. 5 th percentile is around 47 centimeters. To read the head circumference chart for girls, follow the months on the bottom. Take that line and go up to find the inches or centimeters and stop at that line. The percentile is printed on the line.

How is the circumference of the head measured?

The head circumference is the distance between the middle of the forehead and the farthest part of the rear of the head. It is often measured in metric units, centimeters preferred over inches, and you can see the baby head circumference chart given below.

How big is the head of a full term baby?

The baby head circumference of a healthy, full-term baby is between 12.5 to 13.5 inches that are 31.75 – 34.29 centimeters. The head circumference of newborn boys tends to be greater than that of newborn girls as males are born larger and grow faster than females.