Hydrocephalus: Diagnosis
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 18803 on Hydrocephalus: Diagnosis, whether his Department has taken steps to introduce additional infant head‑circumference measurements within routine health visiting contacts; whether a deadline has been set for commissioning a clinical review of current guidance; and whether recommendations discussed with charities and professional bodies are being taken into account in the Department’s policy development on infant head‑circumference monitoring.
Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson
The Department has not taken steps to introduce additional infant head circumference measurements within routine health visiting contacts, since the clinical value of this is yet to be robustly established. However, we engaged widely with stakeholders when refreshing the Healthy Child Programme guidance, which specifies requirements for health visiting, and noted in the text, as per requests from the charity sector, that the purpose of all measurements should be explained to parents and all statutory health and development reviews should be conducted face-to-face.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on postnatal care recommends measuring the weight and head circumference of babies in the first week and at around eight weeks, and at other times only if there are concerns. NICE guidelines are based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and are developed through a rigorous process. NICE keeps its guidelines under active surveillance and would consider updating its recommendations in light of new evidence. NICE has no current plans to review its current guidance on head circumference measurement.
The timings of both the new birth and the six-to-eight week health and development review, which form part of the Healthy Child Programme, coincide with when NICE recommends head circumference measurements take place.
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