Intracranial pressure in infants: signs, symptoms and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Change in intracranial pressure is very dangerous for a child's life. Unfortunately, increased ICP is often found in newborns, in whom it is especially difficult to detect changes in the functioning of the brain in time. You can read about what intracranial pressure is in infants, the symptoms of this disease in this article.

What is intracranial pressure?

Our brain is 1/10 part of the cerebrospinal fluid, which is also called cerebrospinal fluid. This substance fills the ventricles of the brain, circulates between the membranes and in the spinal canal. Liquor creates pressure in these areas. Its functions are varied: it protects the soft tissues of the brain in the event of an impact, supports the proper functioning of the gray matter and removes toxins from it.

Intracranial pressure can be normal, high or low. Increased ICP, which is also called hypertension syndrome, is dangerous. The volume of cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull increases, it begins to put pressure on the brain,disrupting his work. Both children and adults suffer from this disease. Increased pressure inside the skull can lead to irreversible neurological changes, and not everyone pays attention to the symptoms of the disease.

How dangerous is it for babies?

How does high intracranial pressure appear? This disease always develops in one of two ways:

1. In the first case, the pressure inside the head rises due to an increase in blood flow and a decrease in its outflow. As a result, the blood overflows the vessels, and plasma impregnation of the tissues occurs, the result of which is hydrocephalus - an increased volume of the head.
2. In the second case, ICP rises due to the growth of brain tissues that mutate due to tumor processes.

For whatever reason, the growth of cerebrospinal fluid would not occur, if pathological changes are not noticed in time, the consequences may be irreversible. Why is high ICP dangerous for infants? The presence of cerebrospinal fluid above normal is only a symptom of other diseases, which should be treated:

• CNS diseases such as meningitis, syphilis and encephalitis may be accompanied by increased intracranial pressure;
• various infectious diseases (otitis media, malaria);
• traumatic brain injury, stroke;
• drugs that affect fluid retention in the tissues and, as a result, an increase in the cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull.

Absolutely all of the abovediseases have very serious consequences, which, if left untreated, can lead to death.

Norms of intracranial pressure for children

Intracranial pressure is indicated in millimeters of mercury. From the point of view of physics, this parameter indicates how much higher the pressure inside the human skull is compared to atmospheric pressure. Normally, ICP in children is slightly lower than in adults. For people over 18 years of age, the norm is 10-15 mmHg. In newborns, ideal ICP can be considered 1.5-6 mm Hg. From 3 to 7 years old, this figure changes and becomes the norm of 3-7 mmHg, and in children starting from 10 years old, ICP is already close to "adult" indicators and is 10-15 mmHg.

Increased intracranial pressure above standard levels is extremely dangerous for the patient's he alth. The critical mark is 30 mm Hg, because such pressure leads to irreversible damage to brain cells and death. That is why it is extremely important to diagnose increased ICP in time and start its treatment. But it is impossible to do this at home, without the appropriate equipment and devices. Examination and detection of this disease is carried out only in hospitals. But the first symptoms and signs of hypertension can be detected on their own.

Intracranial pressure in infants: symptoms

Newborn babies are often whiny and moody. Not all mothers can understand what worries the baby:colic, pain or something else. Yes, and high CSF pressure is often asymptomatic until it reaches critical levels. Here are some symptoms of increased intracranial pressure in babies:

• Too rapid growth of the baby's head, not in line with developmental norms. If your baby has a disproportionately large head compared to the body, this may indicate high intracranial pressure in the baby. Also, a swollen fontanel testifies to it: it is not in vain that it is checked at every appointment with a pediatrician. This is one of the most accurate methods for diagnosing intracranial pressure without special instruments.
• Delay in psycho-emotional and physical development.
• Child's frequent crying and restlessness may indicate that the baby is worried about headaches due to high blood pressure.
• Gref's syndrome or "setting sun" syndrome looks like rolling the eyes down and the appearance of a white stripe between the upper eyelid and the iris of the eyeball. Other abnormalities in the gaze (strabismus) can also be symptoms of high intracranial pressure.
• Regurgitation is the most common symptom of this disease. Vomiting in infants is a very dangerous symptom, the appearance of which requires a mandatory examination by a doctor.
• Seizures appear already in advanced cases and indicate that the cerebrospinal fluid is so squeezing the brain that its departments begin not to receive the necessary oxygen.

An increase in the amount of CSF can occur slowly, gradually, or it can rapidly and quickly. In the latter case, the childvomiting, loss of consciousness or convulsions are observed. Such situations are urgent, so parents need to call an ambulance and go to the hospital as soon as possible.

Symptoms of ICP in older children

If a baby has increased intracranial pressure, then you can only guess about it by external signs. But older children can talk about how they feel:

• headaches, eye pressure worse at night;
• drowsiness and fatigue, uncharacteristic for children of this age;
• violation of visual and auditory perception;
• impaired coordination or fine motor skills.

Causes of intracranial pressure in children

ICP can be congenital or acquired. Sometimes children are born with already high blood pressure due to pathologies of intrauterine development. In infants, intracranial pressure may be the result of birth injuries, during which the cervical vertebrae are damaged and the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid from the brain is disturbed. Also, the cause may be hypoxia due to entanglement of the umbilical cord or other factors. In this case, cerebral edema and increased pressure appear. Other causes of too much fluid in the brain include intrauterine infections and congenital genetic disorders.

Acquired increased ICP in children occurs due to infectious diseases, tumors, oncological diseases, a decrease in the body's ability to remove excess fluid, or due to craniocerebralinjuries.

Diagnostic methods

Based on signs of increased intracranial pressure in infants, one can only guess about the general condition of the child. But in medical institutions there is always the opportunity to do a reliable study. How to determine intracranial pressure in infants?

1. Ultrasound of the brain does not give a 100% picture of the state of the brain, but allows you to determine the size of the ventricles. If they are enlarged, then the pressure inside the skull is increased.
2. A Doppler study of blood vessels allows you to determine the efficiency of the vessels and understand if there is a blockage in them.
3. Computed tomography and MRI cannot be direct evidence of high blood pressure, but they can show ventricular expansion, indirectly indicating this.
4. Lumbar puncture - taking a sample of cerebrospinal fluid with a special needle. This method is the most indicative, as it allows you to determine not only intracranial pressure, but also the presence of inflammation of the brain tissue.
5. You can also recognize ICP by inserting a needle into the ventricles. It is impossible to do this without craniotomy.

Other methods common in the post-Soviet space, such as encephalography or Voll diagnostics, cannot in any way confirm the presence or absence of high blood pressure, so it’s better not to waste money and time on them.

What should I do if my child has ICP?

It is rare to find a parent who is interested in children's he alth and nevernot heard of the term "intracranial pressure". Modern medicine does not consider an increase in the amount of cerebrospinal fluid in the skull as a separate disease, it only indicates other, more serious ailments. They can cause serious conditions and even death, so there can be no self-treatment for ICP. If one of the above symptoms is detected, you should immediately consult a doctor and, if indicated, continue the examination in the hospital.

Treatment

Reviews of intracranial pressure in infants show that this symptom is mainly the result of other diseases. And treatment in the first place should be directed to them. As additional measures to remove excess cerebrospinal fluid, medicinal and surgical methods can be distinguished. Medications include:

• Means to improve blood circulation and eliminate hypoxia in the brain: Actovegin, Pantogam, Cortexin.
• Diuretics: Diacarb, Triampur, Furosemide. They help to cope with excess fluid in the body and reduce intracranial pressure.
• Nootropics can also improve blood circulation in the brain, but these drugs are more dietary supplements than drugs.
• "Magnesium B6".

In case of extreme increase in intracranial pressure, neurosurgical methods are used:

• decompression trepanation of the skull, followed by fluid pumping;
• outer venticulardrainage;
• venticuloperitoneal or cystoperitoneal shunting.

But usually doctors prescribe conservative treatment: it is based on diuretics, and the treatment of the underlying disease is carried out in parallel. Nootropics are prescribed as aids to restore brain function. In this case, the patient needs to ensure peace and eliminate all irritants.

Expert Tips

Treatment of intracranial pressure in infants has its own characteristics. The decision to prescribe drugs in babies can only be made by a narrow-profile specialist doctor based on appropriate examinations. In no case should you prescribe diuretics or other drugs on your own. Symptoms may disappear, but the underlying disease remains. Naturally, there is no talk of any folk remedies to eliminate intracranial pressure in infants.

Prevention measures

As such, there are no preventive measures to prevent the development of increased intracranial pressure. The only way to protect the baby from an insidious disease is to monitor him. If the baby had birth injuries or concussions, if he hit his head or fell from a height, then he is at risk. Such children are best helped by regular examinations by a neurologist and long-term breastfeeding. We should not forget that almost all newborns up to six months have increased pressure inside the skull, which is due to the bone structure of babies. It will not be superfluous to provide long walks in the freshair, which will help to saturate the brain with oxygen and improve its blood circulation. And if you have a suspicion that the baby has a headache, then a couple of drops of lavender oil rubbed into the temple can become an effective remedy for this.

Results

Young children are often whiny and irritable. But it can be a symptom of increased intracranial pressure. To protect their child, every parent just needs to know the main signs of intracranial pressure in infants. And if you have one or more symptoms, get diagnosed and receive the necessary treatment.