A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology, developed in full collaboration with the Child Neurology Society, finds that children with microcephaly, that is, children whose head size is smaller than that of 97 percent of childrenare at risk of neurologic and cognitive problems and should be screened for these problems. The guideline is published in the September 15, 2009, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Microcephaly is common, affecting more than 25,000 infants in the United States each year. If it is not present at birth, it usually has developed by the time a child is two years old. While microcephaly is not a disease, it is an important sign that may point to other conditions.
"The evidence suggests that children with microcephaly are more likely to have certain neurologic conditions, such as epilepsy and cerebral palsy, as well as mental retardation and eye and ear disorders," said lead guideline author Stephen Ashwal, MD, a child neurologist at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, California, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "In fact, the evidence shows that children with microcephaly are at risk for developmental delay and learning disorders. For these reasons, it is necessary for doctors to recognize microcephaly and check the child for these associated problems, which often require special treatments. This is an important recommendation, as it allows doctors to provide more accurate advice and counseling to families who have a child with microcephaly."