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.
Signatories (22)
- Alex Brewer Sponsor
- Jim Shannon
- Calum Miller
- Liz Jarvis
- Shockat Adam
- Helen Maguire
- Caroline Voaden
- David Chadwick
- Freddie van Mierlo
- Wera Hobhouse
- James MacCleary
- Claire Young
- Ian Sollom
- Monica Harding
- Wendy Chamberlain
- Mr Angus MacDonald
- Charlotte Cane
- Mr Lee Dillon
- John McDonnell
- Vikki Slade
- Rachael Maskell
- Dr Al Pinkerton