Many fans suspect that Paris Hilton‘s son has a condition called macrocephaly, which is a disease impacting the size of the human head of babies but what specifically is it, what are the risks and how can it be fixed?
The term itself means ‘large head’ and means that a head is larger than normal for infants of the same age and sex.
Specifically, if the circumference of the head is greater than the 97th percentile, or 97% of other children.
It’s a rare disease that only affects between 2% and 5% of the United States population, which is roughly 16.6m people at the upper end of the scale and as low as 6.6m.
It can be a passed down trait, which is called benign familial macrocephaly and is generally harmless but the other side of the coin is that for those where it isn’t genetic, it can be serious and life-threatening.
Symptoms of macrocephaly can include:
Does Paris Hilton’s son suffer from a rare disease?
- Tightness or bulging of the baby’s soft spot
- Unusual eye movements
- Unexplained projectile vomiting
- Irritability that progressively worsens
- High-pitched cry as though the infant is experiencing pain
- Delays in mental development
Following the emergence of symptoms, medical professionals will check for an enlarged brain, excess fluid in the skull or a large skull through MRI or CT tests.
Risks can include:
- Brainstem compression from the oversized brain
- Hydrocephalus, which is fluid on the brain and can lead to death through too much pressure
- Seizures and epilepsy
- Delayed development
- Abnormal brain function
Can macrocephaly go away?
Nothing can be done to prevent macrocephaly from happening, but doctors can determine if it will impact the quality of life and if a medical condition is the cause of the disease.
Macrocephaly has no cure, it’s for life, but early interventions such as speech, physical and occupational therapy can help maximize the chances of a successful life.