# At 37 weeks, baby has a "big head"?



## monkeybum (Jan 1, 2005)

I'm 37 weeks pregnant with my second child. They thought the little guy was breech so sent me for an ultrasound. He's not breech (wahoo!) but the sonographer said he's measuring exactly right - 37 weeks at about 6.3 lbs, but that his head is measuring big and skewing the results. She said that his head is measuring at least a week ahead of the rest of his body.

Has anyone ever heard of this or know what it means?

My first (now 3) had very mild craniosynostosis (bones in head fuse before birth) but that meant his head measured small, not big.

Kathy.


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## sevenkids (Dec 16, 2002)

It's not an uncommon ultrasound finding....and it means nothing. Measuring a week ahead may mean nothing more than a fraction of a centimeter. When they measure your baby, they measure femur length, biparietal diameter of the head, head circumference, and abdominal circumference, and then average off the measurements. After 30 weeks, the measurements may be off +/- 3-4 weeks. So unless the baby's head is measuring more than 4 weeks off +/-, don't worry about it. It's not common for _all_ measurements to be exactly, say, 36 weeks.


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## JBaxter (May 1, 2005)

I birthed 3 boys
7lb 15oz
8lb 12 oz
9lb 8oz

All had 14 1/2 inch heads. I didnt have late u/s so I dont know what the late measurments were. I wouldnt worry







All mine were big headed.


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## kim_nz (Jun 11, 2004)

With my second i had a late u/s at 37wks and her head was measuring about 2wks ahead i think and her stomach was measuring 4wks ahead! She was born 2 days after her EDD 9lbs and her head was only half an inch bigger than her big sister who was only 7lbs 12oz at birth. I wouldnt worry about it.


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## SwissMama (Sep 5, 2005)

both of mine has very oval shaped heads - the long measurement measured 2 weeks ahead, and the short measurement measured 1 week behind. The funny thing is now, my DD has the roundest head ever. I agree with the 2nd poster, these things can be SO off, and even when they are big or oddly shaped in the womb, they overlap, and readjust during the descent through the birth canal (only speaking of normal cases here, and from what I hear, its a common thing).


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## ckhagen (Sep 6, 2004)

I had a perinatologist tell me that DS2's head was so large by ultrasound measurement that I would never be able to birth him vaginally. Hahaha... when he was born, his unmolded head was 13.5in. That's nothing compared to DS1 who's head was 14.5in. Of course he came out just fine, not even a tear, at 9lbs.


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## WinterBaby (Oct 24, 2002)

Only a week ahead? Given the unreliableness of U/S at late dates, it's probably right on. All my last baby's meaurements were a week ahead on his 36wk U/S, but the head measured 4 weeks ahead. The perinatologist guessed it could be because his head was shaped rounder, and threw out the most outside measurement. And when he was born all his bits were pretty uniform. In fact, at 10lb1oz, 22.5in and with a 14.5cm head at 39 weeks, I'd say it was his head meaurement that was right on and all the rest that were a bit off, LOL. Just goes to show that at that stage, it means nothing


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## birthgreeter (Aug 31, 2006)

I don't trust ultrasounds.
Too many 'mistakes' with my clients results that have chosen US's.
Just a thought.

Trust...it will be ok.


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