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'My baby's head was football-sized before vital surgery but I miss his big noggin'

Noah Baker's head inflated to twice the size of the average baby and left him unable to life his head independently. His mum Madison Baker has now spoken out

[0_KNM_BABY_FOOTBALL_SIZED_HEAD_1.jpg]

Noah suffered from hydrocephalus (Image: Kennedy News & Media)

A mum has revealed how her toddler underwent life-saving surgery to have his football-sized skull reduced but admits she now misses his 'big noggin'.

Madison Baker discovered her son Noah was suffering from severe and potentially deadly build up of fluid in the brain called hydrocephalus while she was four months pregnant in October 2024. A fortnight after Noah was born in March 2025, he underwent surgery to implant fluid-draining tubes into his brain.

The 28-year-old says that due to the large amount of fluid, Noah's skull developed to 'a much larger size' and measured 26 inches - the size of a football. The average head circumference at birth is 13.5 inches for boys - meaning little Noah's head was twice the size at its largest.

[Madison misses her son's 'big noggin']

Madison misses her son's 'big noggin'(Image: Kennedy News & Media)

Madison says the one-year-old's head was so large that he was unable to lift his own head or sit up on his own. On May 1, 2026, Noah underwent cranial reduction surgery to remove 60% of his skull and 'bring it down to a more appropriate size'.

Madison hopes that the surgery, which was done for developmental rather than aesthetic reasons, will give Noah a better chance at being able to lift his head independently and eat solid foods.

While she says the life-changing operation was the 'best thing for Noah', stay-at-home mum Madison admits she misses what she affectionately dubbed his 'big noggin'.

Madison, from Nashville, Tennessee, US, said: "It was a shock when we were given Noah's diagnosis because we'd had two other pregnancies and never had any issues, so it was definitely unexpected.

[The head reduction surgery was a success]

The head reduction surgery was a success(Image: Kennedy News & Media)

"We had a very traumatic birth. They took him immediately so I never got to hold him when he was first born, they took him straight to NICU.

"He had his first brain surgery at two weeks old and they put tubing in to help drain the fluid. Since then, he's had five more brain surgeries all related to his hydrocephalus."

Noah's most recent surgery on May 1, 2026 was a cranial reduction to remove 60% of his skull. The surgery was completed with the hopes of giving Noah the best chance at being able to lift his head and move independently.

While the surgery hopes to be life-changing for Noah, mum-of-three Madi admits she misses how he used to look.

Madison said: "They removed almost 60% of his skull to bring it down to a more appropriate size. I miss his big noggin - we just got used to it because when he was first born his head was already so large.

[Noah is much happier with a smaller head]

Noah is much happier with a smaller head(Image: Kennedy News & Media)

"It was always very large in circumference so we just got kind of used to it. It's definitely been different but you can tell that he feels lighter, you can tell that he feels a lot better having so much of his skull reduced.

"He looks really great, we miss it but we're glad that we did it still because it definitely needed to be done. It will give him the best opportunity to be the best version of himself and give him all the chances that we can.

"It [the surgery] was for his development - we liked how we looked before."

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