[SBear12]

I have to preface this by explaining that my LO is only 12 months (first birthday yesterday!) so we're not looking for giftedness yet! But I was a gifted child, and studied it fairly extensively in graduate school, so I'm always interested in correlations.

So the back story: my mom and I were laughing that Lyla's 95th percentile head circumference (while being in the 50th for height and weight) must be an indication of her giant brain.

But I'm a paranoid first-time mom, and that study linking autism and head circ. was on the back of my mind, so I brought it up with Lyla's pediatrician (also board certified in developmental peds) today at her one year appt. He nixed the autism concern based on all of her other indicators of normal development (pointing, being social, etc), but also thought the giftedness/head size theory may have some merit to it.

So now I'm curious, and wondered what kind of anecdotal evidence is out there. Did any of your gifted LOs have a head circumference in the higher percentiles as a baby? Was it bigger from birth, or increased over time? I'll have to do a lit search at some point (once a grad student, always a grad student), but like I said, just interested in anecdotal stuff for now, and this seemed like a good place to ask! Thanks to anyone who feels like sharing.

 

[RandiFlowers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBear12 So now I'm curious, and wondered what kind of anecdotal evidence is out there.

Survey says...
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=...e+intelligence

My son's head was so large & round, he looked like a bobblehead... and he was off the charts. Same with daughter. Son who is more average had avg melon as infant.

Follow the link above & happy reading.

You'll never look at a person with a miniature melon in quite the same way again.

 

[clipfish]

We are in the tiny head---crazy IQ category...or helping prove a reverse correlation maybe.

 

[Daffodil]

Well, I'm gifted, and my head is really small. I'm small all over, but I think my head must be small even in proportion to the rest of me. My sister is only an inch taller, but her head is way bigger around than mine. We both tested as having very similar IQ's as kids - mine slightly higher. My kids seem to be pinheads, too. (Smart pinheads.)

 

[terrabella]

Well my two "gifted" children have/had (they do grow into them

) larger heads then their siblings.

 

[daytripper75]

We're in the smart things come in small packages camp.

Both of mine have 10th percentile heads.

 

[franklinmarxmom]

Oh, this thread has me grinning!

DH has a big, giant head. So big we can't find hats for him, anywhere. It's like a quest for us, to find a hat that fits him. None to be found. (And he's not a big guy--5'6", 210 lbs.)

DS also has a big, giant head. He's growing into it now (2.75), but as an infant it was crazy. He consistently measured in the 25th percentile in height & weight, but the 90th percentile in head size, until his 2nd b-day, when he was up to 75% in height and weight. (But that just came after a growth spurt--he's barely grown since then.) We believe it even contributed to his slow gross motor development--late crawler, walker, etc. His body just wasn't strong enough to support his big, giant head! Aside from that, it has never been much of a concern. After all, we know where he got it.

DH is definitely gifted. He and I were both tested in the late 1970's (whatever test they used then) and were 147 and 145, respectively. DS shows all the signs of being brighter than we are before he turns 5.

So, maybe there is a correlation, at least in our family!

 

[Treasuremapper]

I posted a similar thread a while back. I'll try to find it and post it here. My question had to do with size of forehead and head size. Our daughter has a huge head, but so does her dad. The pedi neurologist said my dh's head is at least 2 standard deviations above the mean.

DH has to buy the biggest hats available.

 

[Treasuremapper]

hmmmm...

 

[Aufilia]

DD has a small head circumference to along with the small rest of her. She's one of those kids who was wearing like 6-month-size hats at age 2. She clearly takes after me... most of my hats are child-sized since the adult ones tend to be too large for me.

 

[JollyGG]

Small head size here. Moderately gifted. He was in the 90% for height, 50% for weight, and consistently 25% for head size as an infant. Now my cousin always told me what a huge melon he had. But I think that was the fact that he was bald as a cue ball until he was 2 making it appear large.

 

[no5no5]

In light of the fact that there appear to be two camps (big head vs. small head) developing here, I think I'll stir things up a bit and say: hats come in sizes?!? Seriously? Maybe we just have the wrong sort of hats, but we don't have any that don't fit all of us within reason.

And honestly, I always thought head circumference was a big joke. For a while, DD was getting smaller & smaller measurements at every checkup. The doctor was concerned, until I pointed out that each nurse had measured her head in a different spot. Sometimes the measuring tape wasn't even tight--just hanging off her head.

So I have no idea what her head percentile is now or ever was. I guess you can count me in the wilful blindness camp.

 

[mom2ponygirl]

average head size - profoundly gifted

 

[Stephenie]

DS's head was big even in the womb, measuring several weeks ahead of the rest of his body on ultrasound.... He's in the 30th percentile for weight, 40th for height and the 95th for head circumference. At 2.5, he hasn't been formally tested of course, but we're fairly sure he is gifted.

 

[leighi123]

DS has always had a big head - including before he was born. The rest of him is really small, he is only 22lbs now at 27months. He is very smart though.

 

[minkin03]

my 3 year old (i believe is gifted at some level, not yet tested) has a huge head and has since birth. she is already larger than your average 3 year old and has to wear size 5 and 6 in shirts because her head does not fit through the holes in anything smaller. its size is disguised well though by her beautiful, long, wavy hair.

 

[lindberg99]

The only thing I ever remember reading about head circumference is that large head circumference and rapid head growth during infancy can possibly indicate autism.

no5no5 - If you can find hats that fit you, you don't have a big head. I can never find women's hats that fit. My DS has been wearing adult size helmets and baseball hats since about age 4. He's got a big noggin!

 

[franklinmarxmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindberg99 no5no5 - If you can find hats that fit you, you don't have a big head. I can never find women's hats that fit. My DS has been wearing adult size helmets and baseball hats since about age 4. He's got a big noggin!

I second this!

By the time DS was born, he couldn't wear the cute little newborn caps unless they were super-stretchy. All the caps that came with his outfits went totally unused. I bought him a Youth-sized baseball cap at 18 months, and it fits him fine. Toddler was way too small, and kids was a bit snug.

OP, I am totally amused by this conversation.

 

[KCMichigan]

Both my girls have large heads---one with a very large head (98%or higher). My larger headed DD has symptoms of (and dx) of PDD-NOS.I have read correlations between ASD and head size. Both are very bright.

But honestly---genetics plays into it. DH and I both have large heads---so I was not surprised when our DDs did.

 

[St. Margaret]

Quote:

Originally Posted by no5no5 In light of the fact that there appear to be two camps (big head vs. small head) developing here, I think I'll stir things up a bit and say: hats come in sizes?!? Seriously? Maybe we just have the wrong sort of hats, but we don't have any that don't fit all of us within reason.

My siblings have HUGE heads and often cannot buy hats (my brother buys basecap extenders and my poor fashionable sister mourns the cute hats she can't buy/wear). I have a slightly more normal sized noggin and I'm "more gifted" than they if you want to get technical. But I wanted to say, yes, some heads do defy hats!

I haven't looked at studies of this, and I tend to shy away from anything close to phrenology! But I'm ignorant, I admit.

Funny topic!