Registered Charity 1183086

Get-A-Head

Get-A-Head is a national campaign working to improve the early diagnosis of hydrocephalus and other serious brain conditions by raising awareness of the importance of routine head circumference measurements in babies. Changes to a baby’s head growth can sometimes be the first sign of a condition that needs further investigation and treatment.

get-a-head

SIGN OUR PETITION

In 2024, we launched a petition calling for a review of the current medical guidance on infant head circumference measurement. More than 25,000 people have already added their names to the campaign.

Thanks to the efforts of our supporters, the issue is now receiving national attention. We are pleased that the UK National Screening Committee is currently commissioning an evidence map to review the existing approach to routine head measurements in babies.

Add your voice and help ensure no baby slips through the net. Sign the petition today.

 

EARLIER DIAGNOSIS STARTS HERE

Get-A-Head is about more than changing guidelines. We want to create a lasting shift in how head circumference measurement is viewed and valued across child health services.

Too often, head measurements are missed, not recorded, or overlooked. We believe every measurement matters.

By ensuring that head circumference is measured routinely, accurately plotted in a child’s Personal Child Health Record (Red Book), and recognised as a key indicator of brain health, we can help more children receive the right investigations and treatment at the earliest possible opportunity.

** Donate now **
Through the Get-A-Head campaign, Harry's Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust has helped to secure an important change to the NHS Healthy Child Programme guidance, which now states that health professionals should explain routine growth monitoring to parents. This is a positive step towards ensuring families better understand the checks their baby receives, including head circumference measurements, and why they are important for monitoring healthy growth and development.

OUR RED BOOK INSERT

Harry’s HAT is proud to be only the third charity in the UK to develop a bespoke insert for the Personal Child Health Record (Red Book). The insert is designed to help parents understand why head circumference measurements matter, when they should be taken, and what they can tell us about a baby’s brain growth and development. It will also raise awareness of hydrocephalus and the importance of early diagnosis.

Our ambition is for the insert to become a nationwide resource, reaching families across the UK and helping to make head circumference monitoring a more visible and valued part of routine child healthcare. By empowering parents with information from the start, we hope to encourage every head measurement to be taken, recorded and plotted in the Red Book.

 
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Red book insert - slide 2

If your organisation, business or trust shares our passion for improving infant brain health and would like to explore opportunities to support the wider rollout of the Red Book insert, please contact: caroline@harrys-hat.org

Global Guidelines Study

Our international research has found that babies in the UK receive far fewer routine head measurements than those in many comparable countries. By shining a light on these differences, we’re helping to build the case for improved monitoring and giving families the best chance of spotting potential concerns early.

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