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M'sian girl, 2, with abnormally large head has undergone 12 operations

This article is more than 12 months old

She is only two years old, but she has undergone 12 operations and spent more time in hospital than anywhere else.

Nurfatiha Najiha, a Malaysian, suffers from a medical condition called hydrocephalus in which cerebral fluid accumulates in the brain.

This causes her to have an abnormally large head.

Nurfatiha's mother Nurul Wahida Hasbulah, 23, said she had trouble even carrying her baby.

"When her condition was first identified, Najiha was very weak. She was so scared of everyone.

"She would need me constantly to be around to carry her, but it was quite tough to do due to the size of her head," she said.

Madam Nurul Wahida, a housewife, said that at one point, the circumference of Nurfatiha’s head measured 61cm.

According to the World Health Organization, the median head circumference of a two-year-old girl is 47.2cm.

'She still brings me much joy'

Madam Nurul Wahida said the family began to notice the abnormal rate of growth of Nurfatiha's head when she was about two months old.

"In fact, before the operations, all she could do was to lie down or lean her head to the side due to its weight," said Madam Nurul Wahida on Friday at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

The young mother said she persisted in encouraging her daughter to go about with daily activities.

"It was hard at first but my daughter kept on improving day by day.

"While she may look different from other children, she still brings me much joy," she said.

Nurfatiha has to travel from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur every three months for medical check-ups.

"The doctors do not know if her condition will ever improve, but we will continue to stay positive,” she said, smiling at Nurfatiha who was bobbing her head to the music that was playing in the background.

Source: The Star

malaysiababyMEDICAL & HEALTH