Ultrasound examination of the brain through the fontanel is performed in preterm newborns. Ultrasound examination is also indicated in children born at term, but with a burden related to the pathology of pregnancy or with an abnormal course of delivery. Moreover, ultrasound is obligatory in the case of diagnosis of malformations and the presence of non-specific neurological symptoms in an infant. Ultrasound examination is completely safe and painless for a child. It is worth doing them in order to exclude damage to the central nervous system (CNS) or the presence of other pathologies that could adversely affect the further development of the child.
Indications for the performance of ultrasound ultrasound:
The presence of factors that increase the risk of complications within the CNS of the newborn:
pathologies during pregnancy, e.g. abnormalities in the placenta, amniotic syndrome, maternal diabetes,
premature labor, low birth weight of the baby,
perinatal hypoxia,
distortion of the baby's head, hydrocephalus,
diagnosed malformations of the heart,
suspected autoregulation disorders of the cerebral circulation,
diseases of the lungs and pulmonary vessels,
genetic diseases,
metabolic diseases,
the presence of neurological symptoms,
infections with meningitis.
What does a transudic ultrasound look like?
The doctor covers the top of the baby's head with a small amount of medical gel. Then, he places the ultrasound head to the area of the anterior fontanell, through which the ultrasound waves can reach intracranial structures. The echo image waves are observed on the ultrasound monitor. The ultrasound scan can be repeated as often as desired without any harmful effects on the baby's brain. The frequency of follow-up visits is determined individually by the attending physician.
What detects the perianal ultrasound?
During the ultrasound examination of the child's head, the doctor assesses:
the size and shape of the ventricular system,
vascular plexuses in the lateral ventricular system,
echogenicity of brain structures,
possible presence of focal lesions and bleeding,
post-cerebral fluid spaces,
in children with a valve - location of the drain in the ventricular peritoneal drainage.
Possible pathological changes diagnosed during ultrasound examination are:
intracerebral or intraventricular bleeding and their consequences,
widening of the ventricles of the brain,
periventricular leukomalacia,
vascular malformations,
developmental defects of the CNS,
brain tumors.
At the Dworska Hospital in Krakow, we have high-quality ultrasound machines with a set of pediatric heads that allow for a precise assessment of intracranial structures. It is possible to perform an ultrasound examination until the child is about 6 months old or until the front fontanel is overgrown.
Source:
- Helwich E, Bekiesińska-Figatowska M, Bokiniec R. Rekomendacje dotyczące badań obrazowych ośrodkowego układu nerwowego u płodów i noworodków. Journal of Ultrasonography 2014; 14: 203-216.
- Zielonka-Lamparska E, Wieczorek A. Ocena przydatności ultrasonografii 3D centralnego układu nerwowego u noworodków i niemowląt w ocenie krwawienia wewnątrzczaszkowego i jego następstw w badaniu przez ciemiączko przednie. Journal of Ultrasonography 2013; 13: 408-417.
Frequently asked questions about the pre-girth ultrasound (baby's head):
Ultrasound examination is performed in children:
prematurely born (premature babies)
with a burden in the history of the pathology of the course of pregnancy,
with perinatal hypoxia,
with recognized developmental defects,
with impaired functions of the circulatory or respiratory system,
with meningitis,
with the presence of nonspecific neurological symptoms.
Ultrasound examination is possible in newborns and infants up to about 6 months of age or until the front fontanel is atrophied.
Ultrasound examination does not require special preparation. There is also no need to put the baby to sleep. The ultrasound examination is painless and completely safe for the baby. The doctor covers the top of the baby's head with a small amount of gel. Then, he places a special ultrasound head to the area of the anterior fontanel, through which the ultrasound waves have a chance to reach intracranial structures. The echo image waves are observed on the ultrasound monitor. The test usually takes about 15 minutes.
