Microcephaly Definition, Causes and More
Article Sources
- 1. 'Microcephaly.' Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 25 June 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/microcephaly/symptoms-causes/syc-20375051.
- 2. 'Microcephaly: Boston Children's Hospital. Boston Childrens Hospital, www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/m/microcephaly.
- 3. 'Default - Stanford Children's Health.' Stanford Children's Health - Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=microcephaly-90-P02610.
- 4. Hanzlik, Emily, and Joseph Gigante. 'Microcephaly.' Children (Basel, Switzerland), MDPI, 9 June 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5483622/.
- 5. 'Facts about Microcephaly.' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 Oct. 2020, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/microcephaly.html.
- 6. 'Microcephaly: Symptoms and Causes: Boston Children's Hospital.' Boston Childrens Hospital, www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/m/microcephaly/symptoms-and-causes.
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- 8. 'Microcephaly: Frequently Asked Questions: Boston Children's Hospital.' Boston Childrens Hospital, www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/m/microcephaly/frequently-asked-questions.
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Diagnosing Microcephaly
Before birth, doctors may diagnose microcephaly during an ultrasound. Frequently, microcephaly isn't evident in ultrasound images until the third trimester.
For diagnosis after birth, physicians review pregnancy issues, family history and the child's health history. They measure the head circumference, comparing the measurement to standard growth charts. They may also order imaging tests. Blood tests may reveal genetic conditions linked to microcephaly, and a urine test may detect the presence of a substance used by the mother that could increase the risk of microcephaly.3‘Default - Stanford Children’s Health.’ Stanford Children’s Health - Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=microcephaly-90-P02610.
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