When the baby is born, every month it is observed by specialists who record the height, weight, volume of the chest and head. All these indicators are recorded by the pediatrician and compared with existing standards. The size of the baby’s head by month must meet certain standards. According to accepted standards, the child's head should grow by 10 centimeters per year.
If the child achieves such a result, it will be possible to say for sure that he is developing normally. This kind of observation is carried out only up to a year, since the rapid development of body volumes by the year slows down. Such an indicator as
the head size of a child by months becomes irrelevant by two or three years.
Head size and shape
At birth and normal development, all babies have almost the same head volume. The only thing that can distinguish them is the shape of the head, which was acquired by the child during childbirth. After birth , newborns can have this shape of the skull:
- elongated, oval, remotely resembling a tower;
- more rounded, with characteristic tubercles at the forehead.
Both forms of the head are normal. Coming into the world, the baby has very fragile bones, so during the birth process the head is slightly deformed under pressure. A few months after birth, it takes on normal forms.
What are the differences in head size between girls and boys
When born, boys and girls have almost the same volume of the head. On average, this figure is 34-35 centimeters. This head circumference is characteristic of all babies born on time. But with each month of development in boys, the head becomes larger.
Resize in the first months
A child (1 month) the size of the head is one and a half centimeters larger than in the first days after its birth. This is considered a normal indicator of growth. In general, no specialist can say that a child’s head should be just as many centimeters, as each child grows and develops according to its individual indicators.
There are situations when deviations from the norm in the development of the circumference of the head of the child are its individual feature. After all, every organism is unique. Therefore, for a year there may be months when the baby grows up a little less or more than the norm suggests. To worry about this is not worth it. The doctor, before he says about a possible deviation from standard indicators, will first observe for several months.
Therefore, any table with norms of head circumference is just a guideline that doctors adhere to, but to say for sure that the baby has too big or too small head, they can only after appropriate observation. Since if the deviation parameters exceed 2-3 centimeters, then this is an occasion to respond in time.
How does the head circumference in a child change
According to generally accepted standards, the size of the head of a child by months should increase to one and a half centimeters. Such intense growth slows by six months. When the child turns six months old, then the doctor every month with normal development observes an increase in the circumference of the head by half a centimeter. By the year growth is significantly slowed down, and the doctor will observe the changes only once a year.
The child’s growth does not stop, he is periodically examined by a pediatrician, but only once a year, since such a hyper-jump, as before, will no longer be in the parameters. But if parents are very worried about the child and his development, then they can always take all the necessary measurements on their own.
Table with growth and development rates
Now thanks to modern achievements, if desired, any parent can independently control all age norms. If mom and dad want to make sure once again that the baby is growing as expected, then each month before visiting a doctor they can take measurements themselves. Many experts also recommend that parents watch the development of their offspring.
For convenience and comparison of the parameters of a particular child with normative indicators, a table was created. It indicates the size of the baby’s head for months. The table is quite simple and easy to use.
| Age months | Head volume, cm |
| Girls | The boys |
| one | 36.6 | 37.3 |
| 2 | 38,4 | 39,2 |
| 3 | 40 | 40.9 |
| 4 | 41 | 41.9 |
| 5 | 42 | 43,2 |
| 6 | 43 | 44,2 |
| 7 | 44 | 44.8 |
| eight | 44.3 | 45.4 |
| 9 | 45.3 | 46.3 |
| ten | 46.6 | 46.3 |
| eleven | 46.6 | 46.9 |
| 12 | 47 | 47.2 |
To take measurements, you will need a special soft tape with the marked markings in centimeters. To measure the baby’s head is through the line of eyebrows, passing the tape to the occipital region.
But if the parent is worried whether his baby is growing properly, he should first of all consult with a children's doctor. If abnormalities are detected, only he can detect the cause of the abnormal development and prescribe the necessary treatment.
What you should pay attention to
The control months are considered to be the third and sixth. The size of the baby’s head (3 months) will increase by an average of 6-8 centimeters compared to the original circumference. For example: the average head circumference of a three-month-old baby is 40 centimeters. Moreover, the boy’s circumference may be 1-2 centimeters more than the girl’s.
The size of the baby’s head for 5 months will increase by another 1-2 centimeters. For boys it will be about 41.5, and for girls - 41 centimeter.
Head growth is a very important indicator, as the brain and nervous system are formed. Therefore, it is necessary to remember or write down the parameters of the newborn, so that then they start from them during observation.
To avoid various deviations, doctors advise each mom to adhere to the regimen: take daily walks on the street, breastfeed and create a friendly atmosphere. The child should feel safe, be surrounded by love.
Of course, any changes in growth or deviations from the generally accepted tables, which indicate the size of the child’s head by month, is an occasion for worry. But you should not panic right away. First of all, the specialist who observes the child will be convinced of this, then special tests and analyzes will be carried out and only after that we can talk about violations.