Microcephaly and Mental Retardation

Abstract

In a review of 202 microcephalic children evaluated at a child development center, from 7.5% to 13.5% were developing normally. More than half of these children, while not retarded, had evidence of brain damage or dysfunction. These 27 children are described. The variability in anthropometric studies is reviewed.

From fear recognition to kidney donation

“…Stated thus, we're inclined to imagine an abundance of big-brained smart people. However, such a correlation might simply reflect the existence of diseases such as microcephaly, which involve both smaller brains and mental deficits (10). Along similar lines, one might wonder whether the correlations observed here are similarly misleading.…”

Practice Parameter: Evaluation of the child with microcephaly (an evidence-based review) [RETIRED]

“…37 For children seen in neurodevelopmental clinics, 3 Class III studies (n ϭ 933) found an average prevalence of microcephaly (ϽϪ2 SD) of 24.7% (range 6% to 40.4%). [38][39][40] Similarly, a high rate of severe (ϽϪ3 SD) microcephaly (20%) was found in a Class III study of 836 children undergoing evaluation for mental retardation. A number of studies have looked at the prevalence and significance of microcephaly in children with apparently normal intelligence.…”

Frontal Brain Expansion During Development Using MRI and Endocasts: Relation to Microcephaly and Homo floresiensis

“…Microcephaly is an anthropological/medical term used to denote a smaller than normal cranium and, consequently, an unusually small brain (Martin, ; Vannucci, ; Adachi et al, ; Vannucci et al, in press). Congenital and secondary forms exist, depending upon the underlying etiology of the condition.…”