PART I: STANDARDS OF HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE

Abstract

Inadults onlygrosspathological lesions cause an increase insizeofthehead,butinchildren enlargement dueto slowly growingintracranial lesions must bedistinguished fromthechanges whichaccompany normalgrowth.Hencethe clinical importance of establishing normal increments foreachphaseofthegrowing period. Thefollowing contribution to thesubject of headsizeisbased on serial measurements ofthe headcircumference of331boysand333girls who attended theOxfordChildHealth Survey between 1944and1954.*Thesechildren were seen five timesduring their first year andthereafter atsixmonthly intervals until theyreached theage of5 years. An additional appointment at7 yearsof age was obtained innearly 400cases. Inthe following accountallmeasurements fortheperiod 1to12months were takenwithin 14daysofthe stated age; from1 to 5 years theywere taken within onemonthandat7yearswithin twomonths. Failure toreach theage of7by1954, andmissed or incorrectly datedappointments accountforthe different numbersexamined ateachage andeach interval (Tables IandII).Theshortest sequenceof correctly datedmeasurementswas fourandthe longest 14.Theheadcircumferences weremeasured byplacing thetapeon thesupra-orbital margins andcarrying ithorizontally roundthemostpromi. nentpartoftheocciput.