Today every fifth newborn is diagnosed with "increased intracranial pressure". Immediately calm down: in 99%, he is groundless neither by analysis, nor by research. However, to check the state of the brain in a child-infants for the accumulation of fluid in the head must necessarily! Unfortunately, under the phrase "elevated ICP", hydrocephalus may be hidden - a dangerous pathology.
In terms of medical terms, the liquid in the head of a newborn baby is a congestion in the cerebral cavity of the cerebrospinal fluid, that is, cerebrospinal fluid.
Manifestation
There are many kinds of hydrocephalus , but in children from birth to the age of two, signs of accumulation of fluid in the head in any form of pathology are similar. The main symptom is the pathologically rapid growth of the child's head circumference. That is why it is so important to visit the pediatrician monthly, which measures the head and compares the figures with the norm.
In hydrocephalus, the fontanum is also enlarged in size and a large fontanel. This is due to the fact that the seams between the bones of the skull are not yet formed, and the liquid presses on them from the inside. When the cerebrospinal fluid accumulates, the fontanel, which normally closes by the year, can remain open for up to three years. Over time, signs are becoming more prominent: thin bones of the skull, protruding and disproportionate forehead, venous network on the face, muscle tone in the legs, convulsions. A sick child lags behind in development, whiny, apathetic.
Only experienced specialists are able to correctly recognize the symptoms of this disease, but parents should immediately seek help, noting the development gap or disproportionate growth of the head crumbs.
Diagnosis and treatment
After the establishment of the primary diagnosis, the child is assigned to carry out neurosonography, ultrasound of the brain, computed tomography or MRI. When the diagnosis is confirmed, ventriculo-peritoneal bypass surgery is most often performed. The essence of the operation is that the silicone catheters extract the cerebrospinal fluid from the ventricles of the child's brain into the abdominal cavity. Less commonly, the fluid is diverted to the right atrium or the spinal canal.
If the operation is performed on time, the child has every chance of a normal life, visiting preschool and school facilities. However, it must be taken into account that the size of the head after the operation will not decrease, since changes in bone tissues are irreversible.