Ultrasound of the brain for children: how to do what shows

Each kid up to 1 year is assigned ultrasound of the brain. Of course, such research raises a number of questions from parents. Why is an ultrasound of the brain for children? How safe is the procedure? And what will the doctor see in the course of the study?

What is an ultrasound of the brain

Today, many babies are born very painful. They have weak health and low immunity. It is not only the negative ecological situation that is to blame for this. Very often, the cause of various pathologies and disorders in babies is the woman's wrong lifestyle during pregnancy. That's why doctors are trying to conduct a lot of tests in maternity hospitals. And especially in the event that they suspected any deviation in the development of crumbs.

Ultrasound of the brain for children is a completely harmless way to investigate:

• Brain tissue;
• The cortex of the brain;
• Vessels and other structures located inside the skull.

This method is also called neurosonography.

This diagnostic is based on 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 are transformed on the monitor in the form of an image.

It should be emphasized once again that ultrasound of the brain is perfectly safe for children. The procedure has no side effects. By 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 carried out only for infants. For grown-up children it is completely meaningless. This is due to age changes.

Ultrasonic waves easily penetrate the skin. However, they can not pass through the bones. That's why no brain ultrasound is performed for adults. Since in such patients the bones of the skull are sufficiently tightly in contact. They do not miss the ultrasound.

A completely different picture is observed in infants in the first year of life. Skull bones in crumbs do not touch tight everywhere. They form fontanel. These are places that are not yet covered with bone tissue. It is the fontanelles that are the perfect "windows" for ultrasound. They allow to pass ultrasound. Due to this the doctor can study in detail the brain tissues of the baby.

Most often, ultrasound of the head to the child through the anterior large fontanel. It is localized between the parietal and frontal bone. Diagnosis can also occur through fontanels located in the region of the temples or occiput.

After a year, the large fontanel is completely overgrown. This makes it impossible to perform diagnostics.

When an ultrasound is prescribed

Doctors recommend that neurosonography be performed for all babies under 1 year. This will eliminate the development of brain pathologies. After all, many ailments can leak stealthily, and for a long time do not make itself felt.

In this case, there are indications that require mandatory ultrasound of the brain for children.

The study is appointed:

• Premature babies;
• To children, whose body weight deviates from the norm;
• Newborns with an unusual facial skeleton or head shape;
• Crumbs, who received birth traumas affecting the neck (the vertebral artery is compressed, spasm of the arterial bed developed, intracranial pressure was increased);
• Infants who have experienced hypoxia, asphyxia;
• Children who have symptomatic neurological pathologies (weakness in the limbs, convulsions);
• Crumbs, who received intrauterine infections;
• Infants, who have signs of intracranial hematomas, various brain injuries, anomalies in the development of other organs.

With such indications, the ultrasound of a newborn is compulsory. This procedure may not be required alone.

Re-examination

Most parents prefer to conduct ultrasound when a child grows up a little. 1 month is the most optimal age. But in those cases when the above-described anxiety symptomatology is observed, the procedure is performed in the maternity home to newborn babies.

In this case, parents should be prepared for the fact that several such studies will be required. If the baby has a deviation, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment. It is mandatory for a child prescribed by the doctor to receive this therapy. 1 month or 2 treatment is performed. Then the crumb is sent for a second study. Ultrasound is necessary in order to control the dynamics of the disease. The doctor should make sure that the prescribed therapy is effective, and the pathology detected in the baby is treatable.

For children in critical condition, such research is a real salvation. These crumbs are performed almost every day. In this case, unlike the X-ray, it does not cause harm to health.

Procedure

No special preparation for the event is required. But 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 take with you a bright toy or a bottle of baby food.

Where to make ultrasound to a child? The research can be conducted 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 convenient enough for both parents and the child. Mom does not have to break the sleep schedule, feeding. A baby feels comfortable in a familiar, comfortable environment.

In most cases, the diagnosis is carried out through a large fontanel. This event has many advantages. After all, it allows us to understand the state of the brain of the newborn, and in the case of deviations, it is timely to reveal pathologies.

During the procedure, the internal structure of the brain, its ventricles, and blood vessels are examined.

Explanation of results

Neurosonography reveals structural changes in the brain tissues and membranes. In addition, such diagnosis determines the presence of intracranial lesions. For this purpose, ultrasound of the brain of infants is used. A norm is a complete absence of signs of pathologies.

During ultrasound, the status is determined:

1. Ventricles of the brain. Identify their contours, sizes. Ventricles are special cavities that fill the cerebrospinal fluid.
2. Large vessels and their plexuses.
3. Structures of brain tissues.

In a healthy child, the ventricles should be of normal size (not enlarged). And in the brain tissue should not be seen any formations.

After the procedure, the radiologist deciphers the results. These data will be transferred to a neurologist. In case of any suspicion of deviations, the child will be advised to undergo additional studies. According to the results of ultrasound diagnosis is almost never put.

What the survey shows

Unfortunately, not always carried out diagnostics indicates the normal development of the baby. Sometimes it indicates a deviation.

Of course, parents would like to know if an ultrasound of the brain is being performed, what does this study show? Let's consider what deviations from the norm may be.

Expanded 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 cavity of the skull. Pathology can be both acquired and congenital.

If we talk about the causes of the disease, most often its sources are: intrauterine hemorrhage, various infections, as well as malformations.

Visually, these newborns are slightly different from healthy children. They have a big head, a prominent forehead is noticeable. In addition, these springs are dilated with fontanels.

Ultrasound can detect an increase in the ventricles. However, based on these results, the diagnosis can not be made. After all, children can vary in size. Therefore, to identify the disease, you need to turn to a pediatric neurologist. He will assess the presence of characteristic symptoms and recommend additional tests of the baby: MRI, CT.

Extended subarachnoid space

It is localized between the soft shell of the brain and the web. Such a space fills the cerebrospinal fluid. Under normal conditions, its size is not more than a few millimeters.

If the ultrasound shows an enlarged space, then the child is suspected of leptomeningitis or arachnoiditis.

More often such pathologies develop against a background of various infections or trauma.

Vascular plexus cyst

Such a pathology can be identified even before the birth of a child - in utero. What is the vascular plexus? This is a part of the meninges that does not contain nerve cells. But at the same time it produces the fluid necessary for normal brain development.

Sometimes such a liquid can be "blocked" among cells. As a result, a cavity called a cyst is formed. In most cases, the pathology resolves itself on approximately 24-28 weeks, in the womb of the mother. But sometimes the cyst is preserved in newborn babies, and even children, older than a year. These education, 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 child's head showed such a picture.

Hemorrhages in the ventricles are most often observed in preterm infants at 1 week of life. That is why it is recommended that such crumbs have ultrasound of the vessels of the head in the maternity hospital. Hemorrhage inside the ventricle, which occurred before the birth of the baby, is, as a rule, quite serious and extensive. In the case of a severe degree of this pathology, the hematoma is found in the brain. This is the accumulation of blood that has occurred as a result of rupture of the vessel.

Hemorrhage into the brain substance is observed with intrauterine infection, birth trauma, impaired blood coagulability, hemolytic disease, hypoxia. Such pathologies are very serious and need to be observed by a doctor.

Ischemia of the brain

To this pathology results in 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 until the moment of birth.

Ultrasound can detect the death of brain areas . Ischemia is quite dangerous. It can lead to "softening" of tissues - leukomalacia. With such a pathology, the child develops a deviation.

Arachnoid cysts

The data of the formation (the cavities containing the liquid) are formed in the arachnoid shell. Arachnoid cysts can lead to a squeezing of the brain. Often against the background of such formations symptomatic epilepsy develops . Most often, such effects are observed if the diameter of the formations is more than 3 cm.

Pathology can not resolve itself. Cysts can grow in size. That is why a child neurologist should observe the child.