# Does this child have some congenital disorder?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 5, 2009, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408 "2009-11-05T10:32:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/1 "2009-11-05T10:32:32Z")

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[Re the pic of this kidnapped child.](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33648247/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/)Is this kid within the bounds of “normal” physiologically or does his head shape indicate a potential problem?

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**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/2 "2009-11-05T13:03:39Z")

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Maybe someone here has more detail, but I do recall a snippet from a TV news show that the child does have some disorder causing a large head relative to the body.

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**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/3 "2009-11-05T13:30:29Z")

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There’s a few articles that say she has a growth disorder, but nothing more than that.

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**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/4 "2009-11-05T16:58:17Z")

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> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#):
>
> There’s a few articles that say she has a growth disorder, but nothing more than that.

Considering articles also say she’s 7 months old and weighs 11 pounds, yet doesn’t look extrodinarily skinny, I’m betting she’s rather short as well as light.

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**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/5 "2009-11-05T17:06:40Z")

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Based on the pic alone I’d guess maybe hydrocephaly.

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**Author:** ![Umbriel2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/4af34b/32.png) [@Umbriel2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel2)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/6 "2009-11-05T17:48:29Z")

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The first time I saw her put me in the mind of the [“Starchild” skull](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starchild_skull).

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/7 "2009-11-05T18:08:53Z")

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It could be [craniofacial synostosis](http://surgery.med.nyu.edu/plastic/craniofacial/syndrome). (see the second picture.)

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/8 "2009-11-05T18:22:37Z")

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I’m just glad they found her alive. What an odd story.

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-child-have-some-congenital-disorder/516408/9 "2009-11-05T19:28:23Z")

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Cue up the Dueling Banjos.