Causes and treatment of ventriculomegaly in a newborn baby

The causes of ventriculomegaly

Currently, the causes of ventriculomegaly has not been studied in detail. Pathology can develop due to obstructive hydrocephalus, physical trauma, infectious diseases, hemorrhage, a large role may be played by hereditary factors. The defect increases with other anomalies. Indicates the link pathology with maternal age: in children born to women aged 35 years, ventriculomegaly occurs three times more often than children born to younger women. The average incidence of 0.6%.

Symptoms in infants with this disease may be different: lethargy or the opposite, restlessness, hypersensitivity to touch, convulsions.

Ventriculomegaly in the fetus can be diagnosed during pregnancy (from 17 to 33 a week) using ultrasound and spectral karyotyping. To establish an accurate diagnosis, make a transverse scan of the baby's head with the determination of the lateral ventricles of the brain. When they are larger than 10 mm are diagnosed ventriculomegaly. The size of the brain ventricles with ventriculomegaly can reach up to 12-20 mm.

Treatment of ventriculomegaly

The primary therapy ventriculomegaly is directed to the prevention of the consequences of this disease, which include severe disease of the Central nervous system and brain. In case of any defects in the fetus during pregnancy possible prenatal treatment, which is conducted in 2 stages. During the first three weeks of running exercise therapy and accepted antihypoxic (drugs that increase the body's resistance to oxygen deficiency). In the second phase of treatment is of special exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

Treatment a newborn baby spends a pediatrician and a neurologist. As drug therapy is prescribed diuretics (eg, "Diacarb"), antihypoxants and vitamins. May also prescribe massage, therapeutic exercise. To prevent the development of the child various neurological disorders use drugs which retain potassium in the body (e.g., "Asparkam"). In some cases, requires symptomatic treatment.

To the effects of ventriculomegaly include down syndrome, Edwards, Turner, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, changes in the structure of the brain, developmental disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous system.

In identifying ventriculomegaly in a newborn to predict the development of the child quite difficult. If pathology is isolated, in 80% of cases it will occur normally. If, in addition to this defect, there are other chromosomal abnormalities, there is a high probability of occurrence of severe neurological disorders.