Microcephaly in children: What you need to know

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Cao Thi Thanh - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. Dr. Thanh has worked for 25 years in the treatment of neonatal pediatric diseases.
Microcephaly in children is one of the diseases related to neurological disorders that parents should pay special attention to. In fact, the rate of children with microcephaly is always very low, which can be classified as a rare disease. However, many parents still do not know what they need to know about this disease in order to have knowledge to prevent disease for their children.

1. What is microcephaly in children?

Microcephaly, also known as microcephaly, is a very rare neurological disorder. Infants born with the misfortune of microcephaly will have a smaller head circumference than other children of the same age and sex.
As confirmed by many experts, microcephaly in newborns can occur separately - that is, occur without other serious birth defects, or conversely can also be accompanied by other major birth defects. It can happen while the baby is still in the mother's womb or within the first few years after birth.

2. What are the causes of microcephaly in children?

3. Signs to recognize microcephaly in children

In the mildest case, the size of the baby's head will only be smaller but not associated with any other problems. The head will still grow as the child grows, however, the size will still be smaller than normal children of the same age.
It also exists that the child's intelligence will be affected, leading to learning difficulties that the child will have when he or she grows up, but will not be too severe.
Other symptoms of microcephaly in children include:
Balance and coordination Impaired Hearing Development delay (delayed learning to sit, stand, walk) Difficulty eating and drinking Problems Visual problems Convulsions Poor growth Language ability Hyperactivity (poor attention or inability to sit still).

4. Effective treatment of microcephaly in children

To this day, world medicine has not found a definitive cure for microcephaly in children. If the child is unlucky enough to have it, microcephaly will follow the child for the rest of his life. The disease is divided from mild to severe, whereby each level of disease will have different treatment directions.
For children with mild microcephaly, except for having a small head circumference, they do not face any problems, parents should take the child for regular health check-ups to monitor growth and develope. For children with a severe degree, the doctor will intervene to help control the symptoms that this microcephaly causes, ensuring the child's quality of life is improved.
Early intervention and treatment of microcephaly will help improve and maximize children's physical and intellectual abilities. Speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy are needed if the child has symptoms such as impaired speech, poor balance and coordination. Drug treatment is also essential to control seizures or seizures and avoid life-threatening situations in the child.
Microcephaly in children is an extremely dangerous neurological disease, greatly affecting the future life of children. If the baby has microcephaly syndrome, parents should take the child to a reputable medical facility with doctors specialized in the treatment of birth defects to get the best treatment results.

Vinmec International General Hospital has a full system of experts including pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, speech and physical therapists, and skills to help babies with head syndrome. small growth, change behavior, reduce seizures, improve quality of life. The baby will be comprehensively examined: hearing, vision, cognition, and movement to come up with the most appropriate treatment regimen. Vinmec's medical team are all well-trained, in-depth, experienced, highly qualified, and understand children's behavior and psychology. Vinmec is fully equipped with modern equipment to help the physiotherapy process achieve the best effect.
If there is a need for examination and treatment of microcephaly in children, please book an appointment directly at the website or contact the hotline for service.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.