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Acquired microcephaly: causes, patterns, motor and IQ effects, and associated growth changes

Peter Stuart Baxter1, Alan Steven Rigby, Marianne Hélène Elise Pascale Dominique Rotsaert

  • 1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Sheffield Children's National Health Service Foundation Trust, Sheffield, England. peter.baxter@sch.nhs.uk

Pediatrics
|August 5, 2009
PubMed

Insights

This study classified causes and growth patterns of acquired microcephaly in children. Neither the cause nor the growth pattern predicted developmental outcomes, but poor weight and body growth were associated.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Medical Genetics

Background:

  • Acquired microcephaly, characterized by a head circumference falling below the second percentile, requires understanding of its causes and growth trajectories.
  • Identifying distinct growth patterns and etiological categories is crucial for managing children with progressive microcephaly.
  • Hypothesized correlations between the etiology, growth patterns, and neurodevelopmental outcomes (developmental quotient/IQ) warrant investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To classify the causes and head growth patterns of acquired microcephaly.
  • To explore potential correlations between these classifications and developmental quotient/IQ.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records and growth charts for 51 children (0.7–11.3 years) with acquired microcephaly.
  • Classification of head growth into four patterns (A, B, C, D) based on occipitofrontal circumference changes relative to the second percentile.
  • Formal developmental quotient/IQ assessments were conducted for 34 children.

Main Results:

  • Causes were categorized into idiopathic, familial, syndromic, symptomatic, and mixed groups.
  • Four head growth patterns were identified, including initial decrease followed by parallel growth, continued decrease, and partial recovery.
  • No correlation was found between the causal group and the head growth pattern. Lower head circumference z-scores correlated with lower weight and length z-scores.
  • Developmental quotient/IQ scores were generally below 100 and did not correlate with head circumference z-score, cause, or growth pattern.

Conclusions:

  • Established classifications for causal groups and growth patterns in acquired microcephaly can assist clinical management.
  • Neither the identified causes nor the growth patterns served as predictors of developmental outcomes.
  • The observed associations between microcephaly, poor weight gain, and diminished body growth require further research.
Abstract

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