Each baby up to 1 year is assigned an ultrasound of the brain. Of course, such a study raises a number of questions from parents. Why is a brain ultrasound performed for children? How safe is the procedure? And what will the doctor see during the study?
What is an ultrasound of the brain?
Today, many babies are born very painful. They have poor health and low immunity. It is not only the negative environmental situation that is to blame. Very often, the cause of various pathologies and disorders in babies is the wrong lifestyle of a woman during pregnancy. That is why doctors are trying to conduct many examinations even in maternity hospitals. And especially if they suspected any deviations in the development of crumbs.
Ultrasound of the brain for children is a completely harmless way to explore:
- brain tissue;
- cerebral cortex;
- vessels and other structures located inside the skull.
This method is also called neurosonography.
The basis of this diagnosis is the principle of echolocation. The ultrasound machine sends an impulse that passes through the brain tissue. Then it is reflected from them. These signals are captured by special sensors and transformed on the monitor as an image.
It should be emphasized once again that it is completely safe to use brain ultrasound for children. The procedure does not have side effects. In time, it lasts about 15-20 minutes. Diagnosis can be carried out even while the baby is sleeping.
Why is the study conducted for children under 1 year old
This diagnosis is really only for babies. For grown up children it is completely meaningless. This is due to age-related changes.
Ultrasonic waves penetrate easily through the skin. However, they cannot pass through the bones. That is why an ultrasound scan of the brain is not performed for adults. Since in such patients, the bones of the skull are quite tightly in contact. They do not miss ultrasound.
A completely different picture is observed in babies in the first year of life. Bones of the skull in crumbs do not always tightly touch. They form fontanelles. These are places that are not yet covered with bone tissue. The fontanelles are the perfect “windows” for an ultrasound scan. They allow you to skip ultrasound. Thanks to this, the doctor can study the brain tissue of the baby in detail.
Most often, an ultrasound of the head is carried out to the child through the anterior large fontanel. It is localized between the parietal and frontal bone. Diagnosis can also occur through fontanelles located in the temples or nape.
After a year, the large fontanel completely overgrows. This makes diagnosis impossible.
When ultrasound is prescribed
Doctors recommend neurosonography for all infants under 1 year old. This will exclude the development of brain pathologies. After all, many ailments can occur secretly, and for a long time not to make themselves felt.
At the same time, there are indications that require mandatory ultrasound of the brain for children.
The study is assigned:
- premature crumbs;
- babies whose body weight deviates from the norm;
- a newborn with an unusual facial skeleton or head shape;
- crumbs who received birth injuries affecting the neck (the vertebral artery is pinched, spasm of the arterial bed develops, intracranial pressure is increased);
- infants undergoing hypoxia, asphyxia;
- babies who have symptoms of neurological pathologies (weakness in the limbs, cramps);
- crumbs who received intrauterine infections;
- infants who have signs of intracranial hematomas, various brain injuries, abnormalities in the development of other organs.
With such indications, an ultrasound of the newborn is mandatory. Moreover, the procedure may require more than one.
Repeat research
Most often, parents prefer to have an ultrasound when the child is a little older. 1 month is the most optimal age. But in cases where the above alarming symptoms are observed, the procedure is performed in the hospital for newborn babies.
In this case, parents should be prepared for the fact that several such studies are required. If the baby has a deviation, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment. Without fail, such a child should receive the therapy prescribed by the doctor. 1 month or 2 treatment. Then the baby is sent for re-examination. Ultrasound is necessary in order to control the dynamics of the disease. The doctor must make sure that the prescribed therapy is effective, and the pathology detected in the baby is treatable.
For critically ill children, such a study is a real salvation. Ultrasound scans are performed on these crumbs almost every day. In this case, unlike x-rays, it does not cause harm to health.
Procedure
No special preparation is required for the event. But at the same time, it is important that the crumbs have a good mood. This will help to properly diagnose and significantly reduce the time spent in the office of ultrasound. You can bring a bright toy or a bottle of baby food with you.
Where to do an ultrasound scan for a child? These studies can be carried out in any private office that has the necessary equipment. Diagnosis is carried out in many medical centers in which highly qualified specialists work. In addition, some clinics offer ultrasound at home. It is quite convenient for both parents and the child. Mom does not have to break the schedule of sleep, feeding. A baby feels comfortable in a familiar, comfortable environment.
In most cases, diagnosis is carried out through a large fontanel. This event has many advantages. After all, it allows you to understand what condition the brain of the newborn is in, and in the case of abnormalities, it is possible to identify pathologies in a timely manner.
During the procedure, the internal structure of the brain, its ventricles, and also blood vessels are examined.
Deciphering the results
Neurosonography allows you to identify structural changes in brain tissue, membranes. In addition, such a diagnosis determines the presence of intracranial formations. It is for these purposes that ultrasound of the brain of infants is used. The norm is a complete absence of signs of pathologies.
During an ultrasound, the state is determined:
- Ventricular brain. Reveal their contours, sizes. The ventricles are special cavities that fill the cerebrospinal fluid.
- Large vessels and their plexuses.
- Structures of brain tissue.
In a healthy child, the ventricles should be of normal size (not enlarged). And no formations should be visible in the brain tissues.
After the procedure, the radiologist decrypts the results. These data will be transmitted to a neurologist. In case of any suspicion of deviations, the child will be advised to undergo additional tests. According to the results of ultrasound, the diagnosis is almost never made.
What the examination shows
Unfortunately, not always a diagnosis indicates the normal development of the baby. Sometimes it indicates abnormalities.
Of course, parents would like to know if an ultrasound scan of the brain is performed, what does this study show? Let's look at what deviations from the norm can be.
Dilated ventricles
Such a violation is one of the signs of hydrocephalus. What is this pathology? This is an ailment in which a lot of cerebrospinal fluid is in the cranial cavity. Pathology can be either acquired or congenital.
If we talk about the causes of the disease, then most often its sources are: intrauterine hemorrhage, various infections, as well as malformations.
Visually, such newborns are slightly different from healthy children. They have a big head, a bulging forehead is noticeable. In addition, such crumbs have extended fontanelles.
Ultrasound can detect an increase in ventricles. However, based on these results, a diagnosis cannot be made. Indeed, in children such sizes can vary. Therefore, to identify the disease, you need to contact a pediatric neurologist. He will assess the presence of characteristic symptoms and recommend additional examinations of the baby: MRI, CT.
Expanded subarachnoid space
It is localized between the soft membrane of the brain and the web. Such a space fills the cerebrospinal fluid - cerebrospinal fluid. In normal condition, its size is not more than a few millimeters.
If the ultrasound shows an expanded space, then the child is suspected of leptomeningitis or arachnoiditis.
Most often, such pathologies develop against a background of a variety of infections or trauma.
Vascular plexus cyst
Such a pathology can be detected even before the birth of a child - in utero. What is the vascular plexus? This is the part of the meninges that does not contain nerve cells. But at the same time, it produces the fluid necessary for the normal development of the brain.
Sometimes such a fluid can “block” among cells. The result is a cavity called a cyst. In most cases, the pathology resolves on its own at about 24-28 weeks, in the womb of the mother. But sometimes the cyst persists in newborn babies, and even children older than a year. These formations, as a rule, do not affect the functioning of the brain. Therefore, they do not need special treatment.
Hemorrhages in the substance of the brain, ventricles
It is unpleasant enough if the ultrasound of the vessels of the head of the child showed such a picture.
Ventricular hemorrhages are most often observed in premature infants at 1 week of life. That is why such crumbs are recommended to undergo an ultrasound of the vessels of the head in the hospital. Hemorrhage inside the ventricle that occurred before the baby was born is usually quite serious and extensive. In the case of a severe degree of this pathology, a hematoma is found in the brain. This is an accumulation of blood resulting from rupture of a vessel.
Hemorrhage in the substance of the brain is observed with intrauterine infection, birth trauma, impaired blood coagulation, hemolytic disease, hypoxia. Such pathologies are very serious and require the mandatory supervision of a doctor.
Brain ischemia
This pathology leads to oxygen starvation of the fetus. As a result, neurons (nerve cells) die. Most often, ischemia is observed in premature babies whose lungs did not have time to develop before birth.
Ultrasound can detect the death of brain regions. Ischemia is quite dangerous. It can lead to "softening" of tissues - leukomalacia. With this pathology, the child has a deviation in development.
Arachnoid cysts
Formation data (cavities containing fluid) are formed in the arachnoid membrane. Arachnoid cysts can lead to compression of the brain. Often against the background of such formations, symptomatic epilepsy develops . Most often, such consequences are observed if the diameter of the formations is more than 3 cm.
Pathology is not able to resolve on its own. Cysts can increase in size. That is why the child should be watched by a pediatric neurologist.