Early day motion · EDM 257 · 15 Oct 2024

Infant head measurements

Tabled by Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat) 22 signatures

The motion

That this House believes in the urgent need for regularly measuring each infant's head circumference to effectively identify early signs of hydrocephalus, also known as water on the brain; notes that hydrocephalus is the most common reason for brain surgery in children, with an estimated 1 in 770 babies diagnosed annually; emphasises that early diagnosis is critical for treatments to be successful, and a rapidly increasing head circumference, specifically an increase of 2 or more centile lines on a growth chart, serves as a key indicator of the condition; highlights that the UK conducts fewer head circumference checks than many other developed countries; and recognises that infants are already checked by health workers on a regular basis and that these routine checks could be used to increase the frequency of head measurements in order to save lives.