What is the Difference Between Brachycephaly and Microcephaly

The key difference between brachycephaly and microcephaly is that brachycephaly is a condition characterized by a flattened area at the back of the skull in infants, while microcephaly is a condition characterized by a much smaller head than expected in infants.

Brachycephaly and microcephaly are two different abnormal head conditions in infants. These conditions can be easily diagnosed through physical evaluation after birth. However, they have different aetiologies. Therefore, these conditions should be managed differently in clinical setups.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Brachycephaly 
3. What is Microcephaly
4. Similarities – Brachycephaly and Microcephaly
5. Brachycephaly vs Microcephaly in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Brachycephaly vs Microcephaly

What is Brachycephaly?

Brachycephaly is a condition characterized by an abnormality in the shape of the skull, resulting in a reduced anterior-posterior diameter. Therefore, infants with this condition have a flattened area at the back of the skull. It is also known as flat head syndrome. Brachycephaly is one of the most common types of skull deformities in infants.

The signs and symptoms of this condition include the back of the head being flatten instead of rounded, abnormally wide and tall head, unilateral occipital flattening, tips of ears protruding, forehead that may be asymmetrical, forehead that is positioned more anterior on the side of the occipital flattening, facial asymmetry (small compared to size of head) and torticollis (head turned to one side), limited range of motions in the neck, weakness, and preferential head positioning. Brachycephaly can be caused by problems in the womb, sleeping on the back, being born prematurely, and neck muscle tightness.

Brachycephaly is usually diagnosed by looking at the head and checking movements around the head and neck. Furthermore, brachycephaly is treated by providing plenty of supervised time for the baby to lie on the stomach, varying positions in the crib, limiting the time the child spends lying on the back or with the head resting against a flat surface, and physical therapy.

What is Microcephaly?

Microcephaly is a medical condition in which an infant’s head is considerably smaller than what is typically anticipated. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include a head size that is much smaller than normal, poor weight gain and growth, poor appetite, difficulty in movement and balance, abnormal muscle tone, speech delays, and other problems related to speech and mild to severe learning disabilities. Microcephaly can be caused by prenatal infections, genetic mutations, alcohol and substance abuse, inadequate nutrition, untreated phenylketonuria (PKU) or exposure to toxic chemicals, certain prescription drugs during pregnancy, traumatic brain injury, lack of oxygen to the brain, and an infection in the brain.

Microcephaly can be diagnosed through medical and family history, performing a complete physical examination, measuring the size of the baby’s head while growing, measuring the head size of the parents, X-ray, CT scan, and MRI. Furthermore, treatment options for microcephaly may include physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological counseling.

What are the Similarities Between Brachycephaly and Microcephaly?

• Brachycephaly and microcephaly are two different abnormal head conditions in infants.
• Both these conditions are not life-threatening.
• They can be easily diagnosed through a physical evaluation after birth.
• They are mainly treated through different therapies.

What is the Difference Between Brachycephaly and Microcephaly?

Brachycephaly is a condition characterized by a flattened area at the back of the skull in infants, while microcephaly is a condition characterized by a much smaller head than expected in infants. Thus, this is the key difference between brachycephaly and microcephaly. Furthermore, brachycephaly is a more common condition than microcephaly.

The infographic below presents the differences between brachycephaly and microcephaly in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Brachycephaly vs. Microcephaly

Brachycephaly and microcephaly are two different conditions that result in an abnormality in the head of infants. Both these conditions are congenital disorders. Brachycephaly is a more common head condition than microcephaly. Moreover, brachycephaly is characterized by a flattened area at the back of the skull in infants, while microcephaly is characterized by a much smaller head than expected in infants. So, this summarizes the difference between brachycephaly and microcephaly.

Reference:

1. Waddell, Sandie. “What Is Brachycephaly and What Causes It?” Technology in Motion.
2. “Microcephaly.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Microcephaly” By Brar_j- Flickr – (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia