Newborn head size linked to cancer risk
By Nathan Seppa
Healthy babies born with larger-than-average heads may face an increased risk of childhood brain cancer, a study suggests.
Head circumference reflects brain size, so a large head circumference may indicate abnormal growth in the brain. Norwegian researchers analyzed 1.1 million records of births between 1978 and 1998, excluding babies born with very small or very large heads that would indicate other medical problems. The scientists also ruled out babies born extremely premature, overdue, underweight, or overweight.