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Glite Dictionary
microcephaly

microcephaly

1 9.8
A condition where a baby has a much smaller head and a less developed brain causing development problems
  • noun
  • /ˌmaɪ.kroʊˈsɛf.ə.li/
  • Specialized
translation icon : microcefalia
  • Their declaration was about microcephaly, not about Zika, even though Zika was causally associated but not yet proven.

OK, Why didn't my microcephaly become apparent then?

Examples

  • In Brazil, many infants are diagnosed with microcephaly, a condition resulting in smaller than normal head size and underdeveloped brains.

  • He presented with megaloblastic anemia, microcephaly, developmental delay, and hypotonia, aged 5 months.

    Academic text (1991)

  • My child does have microcephaly.

    Blog text (11)

  • Certainly, many of these features can be seen in Down syndrome, although most Down syndrome children have microcephaly.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Patient A presented, aged 3 weeks, with feeding difficulty and microcephaly.

    Academic text (1991)

  • OK, Why didn't my microcephaly become apparent then?

    Stanford

  • We were at the frontline and what there was a microcephaly with a known etiology.

  • Intrauterine growth retardation, including microcephaly (small head and brain), can be detected in utero with a sonogram.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Infections during pregnancy can result in spontaneous abortion or characteristic congenital defects, such as chorioretinitis, microcephaly or macrocephaly, and hydrocephalus (18).

    Academic text (2014)

  • A pediatrician explained that microcephaly can lead to significant developmental challenges in affected children.

Synonyms

nanocephaly
vsmicrocephaly
  • Specialized
9.9

A person who has a much smaller head and a less developed brain from birth

is the same condition but often involves developmental problems

Antonyms

macrocephaly
  • Specialized
9.9

A condition in which a person has an unusually large head

How Small

microcephaly
  • Specialized
1 9.8

Surface Forms

microcephaly singular
microcephalies plural

Morphology

microcephaly = microcephalic (semi-transparent) = micro + cephal + y

The noun is formed from the adjective microcephalic with the regular condition-denoting suffix -y.

Etymology

Microcephaly comes from two Greek parts: micro- meaning 'small' and cephal- meaning 'head'. You can see micro- in words like microchip, so microcephaly literally means a 'small head', which is why doctors use it for the condition where a baby has an unusually small head and related brain development problems.