Intracranial pressure in children: symptoms, causes, treatment

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

It's no secret that young children are prone to frequent illnesses. Unfortunately, babies are not able to accurately describe the discomfort, and parents have to guess what is happening to their child. In order not to miss the first symptoms of intracranial pressure in children, you need to carefully monitor any changes in the behavior of the baby.

This ailment is one of the common diseases today. If it is recognized in a timely manner at an early age, then this will not affect the future life of the child. However, if you do not see the symptoms of increased intracranial pressure in children, the treatment will be much more difficult and there is a high likelihood of complications. Consider this ailment in more detail.

What is intracranial pressure

ICP is difficult to define in a few words. In itself, pressure is a parameter that is present in every person, for some it is lower, while for others, on the contrary, it is increased. Based on this, in medical practice there are certain norms of pressure. If the indicators go beyond their limits, then this indicates a possible pathology.

If we talk about ICP, then it is worth considering the structure of the brain. As you know, it consists of several departments, including the ventricles, in which a special fluid called "liquor" (or, as it is also called, cerebrospinal fluid) accumulates. It performs a protective function, protecting the human brain from harmful effects and various damages.

ICP (also often called hypertension) is the degree of CSF pressure. Accordingly, any changes in the cerebrospinal fluid can adversely affect the performance and protection of the brain.

Intracranial pressure in a child, the symptoms and causes of which may vary depending on the specific situation, is of several types. Let's take a closer look at them.

Congenital hypertension

Often, the symptoms of intracranial pressure in newborns are associated with certain defects and other dysfunctions of the CSF pathways, precisely at the genetic level. This means that this pathology was transmitted to the baby from the father or mother. Therefore, if this pathology appears in the anamnesis of one of the parents, after the birth of the child, it is worthwhile to exercise increased vigilance.

In addition, congenital hypertension can be a consequence of hemorrhage during childbirth. Because of this, hematomas may appear, and the pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid will increase significantly.

Also, this type of ICP can develop due to cerebral edema due to hypoxia during childbearing or during childbirth.

Doctors annually record the development of congenital pathologies due to infections and birth injuries that adversely affect the development of the fetus. However, in this case, the diagnosis of the disease is carried out in the first weeks after childbirth or even during the third trimester of bearing the baby.

When the first symptoms of intracranial pressure appear in infants, doctors immediately prescribe a course of treatment. If problems are solved in a timely manner, then the important life processes of the baby will not be affected. Thanks to this, children grow up to be full-fledged and no different from other babies.

Acquired hypertension

In this case, the first symptoms of intracranial pressure appear in a child at the age of 5 or a little later (up to 10 years). There are many known factors that provoke the development of the disease. For example, a child could have suffered a traumatic brain injury, which caused swelling, which, in turn, led to a change in CSF pressure.

Also, inflammation of the brain tissue, for example, due to meningitis or encephalitis, can lead to a problematic illness. If pus has formed against the background of these diseases, then the composition of the cerebrospinal fluid may also change. CSF becomes thicker, which leads to its complicated outflow.

If there are symptoms of intracranial pressure in a child under one year old, then perhaps we are talking about the early closure of the fontanel. If we talk about the norms, then, as a rule, it closes at the age of 12-18 months. However, sometimes this event happens ahead of schedule. In this case, quiteincrease in intracranial pressure is expected.

Brain hemorrhage can lead to the same consequences. As a result of this problem, the cerebrospinal fluid begins to exert increased pressure on the tissues surrounding it.

Also, exposure to toxic substances on the baby's brain tissue should not be ruled out.

It is worth checking the baby for any neoplasms (benign or malignant). Due to the tumor, the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid is also disturbed. This happens because there is too much pressure on the brain tissue.

If symptoms of intracranial pressure appeared in children at the age of 10 and later, then the child may have undergone brain surgery. In this case, so-called adhesions are sometimes formed. They impede the outflow of CSF and lead to acquired hypertension.

Causes of increased ICP in children

If we talk about the factors that provoke high intracranial pressure, then there are a lot of them. If we are talking about babies, then perhaps the whole thing is in violation of the circulation of oxygen in the blood of the baby. This is due to problems in the respiratory system.

Any trauma during childbirth or careless actions on the part of doctors can also lead to unpleasant consequences in the form of ICP. Some babies are diagnosed with neurological disorders. In this case, there are a number of additional factors on which the success of the treatment will depend.

In older age, ICP can be triggered by infectious diseases, inflammatoryprocesses, infection with helminths, ticks. In some situations, the cerebrospinal fluid becomes thicker due to the viral flu. Stagnation of blood in the baby's skull can also lead to a similar phenomenon. Inflammatory diseases (bronchitis, sinusitis, otitis media), obesity and even thyroid problems can negatively affect the cerebrospinal fluid.

If after 2 years the symptoms of intracranial pressure appear for the first time in children, then this causes parents to panic. However, do not worry ahead of time. During this period of life, various natural processes take place in the child's body, which can lead to slight fluctuations in ICP.

For example, a normal cough, defecation, elevated body temperature or high exercise can cause such symptoms. If the doctor does not reveal any serious pathologies, then it is worth waiting a bit and the pressure will return to normal on its own.

Increased intracranial pressure: symptoms in infants

At this age, babies can show a wide variety of symptoms. However, do not panic because of individual symptoms, as they may indicate completely different problems. Signs should be considered exclusively comprehensively. If we talk about the symptoms of intracranial pressure in a child under one year old, then most often babies suffer from severe swelling and in some cases even pulsation of the fontanel.

You should also pay attention to the following signs of ICP:

• The bones of the skull are a little apart. itoccurs due to the fact that too much fluid accumulates in the baby's skull.
• Presence of seizures.
• Grefe's symptom. In this case, we are talking about the fact that the oculomotor nerve ceases to function normally. In this case, the baby will constantly direct the eyeballs down, revealing a pronounced white strip above the iris. The child seems to roll his eyes, but only down.
• Tearful. If a child cries for no reason and experiences severe nervous irritation, especially when he is in a horizontal position, then this may indicate that in the “lying” position, venous blood flow slows down greatly, thereby increasing the volume of CSF.
• Vienna. It is worth taking a closer look at the baby's head. If many large veins appeared on it, in which blood is clearly visible, then this is a clear sign of ICP.

Also, the symptoms of intracranial pressure in children include developmental delays. In addition, infants with ICP may suffer from lethargy and muscle hypertonicity. The baby may feel nauseous all the time. This is due to the fact that there is irritation of some parts of the brain responsible for vomiting.

Symptoms of intracranial pressure in children older than 3 years

First of all, at this age, ICP manifests itself in the form of inattention, mental and physical retardation, the inability to remember new information for a long time. At school, such children write unevenly and poorly, they do not speak well enough. If we talk about external signs, then most often children with ICPhave a more prominent forehead. This is due to the accumulation of fluid inside the skull.

In addition, preschoolers and schoolchildren with similar ailments often keep their eyes closed, get tired quickly, act up and often complain of headaches, which usually appear in the evening.

Also, symptoms of intracranial pressure in children older than 3 years include:

• Disturbances in the work of the optic nerve. Toddlers often complain of flies in the eyes, flashes during blinking and pain.
• Bad coordination. Children cannot pick up a mug or a ballpoint pen the first time.
• Frequent vomiting.

These symptoms of increased intracranial pressure in children should not go unnoticed. At the first sign of illness, you should consult a specialist.

Diagnosis

There is only one diagnostic method that will help establish a diagnosis with an accuracy of one hundred percent - a puncture of the cerebrospinal fluid. However, this procedure is quite painful, so doctors prefer other ways to determine the pathology. Most often, diagnosis is based on the main signs and symptoms of ICP.

First of all, the baby is examined by a neurologist. It determines how well the reflexes work, the fontanel for the presence of swelling, measures the volume of the head. The specialist also interviews parents in detail and clarifies how well the baby sleeps, how he behaves during the day, and so on.

The next step is an examination by an ophthalmologist. Hechecks the fundus. If a child has ICP, the specialist will see dilated veins, altered optic discs, and signs of vasospasm.

Based on a comprehensive examination, experts come to the conclusion whether the baby has problems with intracranial pressure. If the answer is positive, then, based on the age and characteristics of the clinical picture, the child is prescribed appropriate treatment. In this case, it is better to consult several specialists at once.

Treatment

Therapy will directly depend on what became the root cause of the development of an unpleasant disease. Most often, having familiarized themselves with the symptoms of increased intracranial pressure in children, experts recommend first of all normalizing the baby's daily routine. You should also be with him outdoors as often as possible.

Experts advise moderate exercise. For example, many recommend starting swimming with your baby. Physiotherapy measures give a good result.

In more complex forms of the disease, doctors prescribe diuretics, such as Triampur or Diakarb. It is also recommended to take drugs that improve blood circulation in the brain. These include the nootropics Caviton, Pantogam and Piracetam. In some situations, a course of neuroprotectors may be required. These drugs include "Glycine". Mild sedatives may also be given.

If the baby suffers from a brain tumor, then surgery cannot be avoided. For hydrocephalus, a bypass procedure is performed.

Folkmedicine

To reduce intracranial pressure in a child, along with medications and physiotherapy, you can try to use various medicinal fees.

For example, you can prepare a decoction of lavender. To do this, pour one spoonful of dried flowers with a glass of boiling water. After that, boil the mixture for 3 minutes and leave for half an hour. It is recommended to drink the resulting remedy for a month, after which it is necessary to take a two-week break and repeat the treatment again. Additionally, a decoction of lavender can be gently rubbed into the baby's scalp before he goes to bed.

Another useful tool is mulberry. It can also be used to prepare a medicinal decoction to lower ICP and relieve headaches. To do this, place a small bunch of grass in a liter of clean distilled water and boil for 15 minutes. After that, the broth must be filtered and divided into several equal parts. However, it should be borne in mind that this drug can only be drunk fresh, so it will have to be prepared daily.

Complications after ICP

If you do not start treatment of increased intracranial pressure in a timely manner, then this is fraught with serious consequences. For example, a child's mental state and vision may deteriorate significantly. Epilepsy also often develops against the background of ICP. In advanced form, this pathology can even lead to ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.

If the baby suffers from infringement of the cerebellum, then a violation may develop against this backgroundbreathing, the limbs will begin to weaken, which also sometimes provokes mental disorders.

Also, ICP greatly affects the mental and physical development of babies. Therefore, it is better not to delay treatment and monitor the possible manifestation of symptoms.