31 Days of Awareness: Microcephaly Awareness

Microcephaly

Awareness Color: Yellow
Awareness Day: Sept 30

Microcephaly is a medical condition in which the circumference of the head is smaller than normal because the brain has not developed properly or has stopped growing.  Microcephaly can be present at birth or it may develop in the first few years of life.  It is most often caused by genetic abnormalities that interfere with the growth of the cerebral cortex during the early months of fetal development. 


 It is associated with Down’s syndrome, chromosomal syndromes, and neurometabolic syndromes.  Babies may also be born with microcephaly if, during pregnancy, their mother abused drugs or alcohol, became infected with a cytomegalovirus, rubella (German measles), or varicella (chicken pox) virus, was exposed to certain toxic chemicals, or had untreated phenylketonuria (PKU).  Babies born with microcephaly will have a smaller than normal head that will fail to grow as they progress through infancy.  Depending on the severity of the accompanying syndrome, children with microcephaly may have mental retardation, delayed motor functions and speech, facial distortions, dwarfism or short stature, hyperactivity, seizures, difficulties with coordination and balance, and other brain or neurological abnormalities.  Some children with microcephaly will have normal intelligence and a head that will grow bigger, but they will track below the normal growth curves for head circumference. 

Causes

Microcephaly is a type of cephalic disorder.

A genetic factor may play a role in causing some cases of microcephaly. Relations have been found between autism, duplications of chromosomes and macrocephaly on one side. On the other side a relation has been found between schizophrenia, deletions of chromosomes and microcephaly.

• varicella zoster virus (Chickenpox)
• rubella (German measles)
• CMV (Cytomegalovirus)
• radiation

Microcephaly can also be associated with other conditions that are only indirectly associated with the nervous system:

• alcoholism (which can result in the fetal alcohol syndrome disability)
• diabetes
• varicella zoster virus (Chickenpox)
• rubella (German measles)
• CMV (Cytomegalovirus)
• radiation

Treatment

There is no treatment for microcephaly that can return a child’s head to a normal size or shape. Treatment focuses on ways to decrease the impact of the associated deformities and neurological disabilities. Children with microcephaly and developmental delays are usually evaluated by a pediatric neurologist and followed by a medical management team. Early childhood intervention programs that involve physical, speech, and occupational therapists help to maximize abilities and minimize dysfunction. Medications are often used to control seizures, hyperactivity, and neuromuscular symptoms. Genetic counseling may help families understand the risk for microcephaly in subsequent pregnancies.

If you want to learn more, please visit:

Foundation for Children with Microcephaly

Wikipedia

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Source