Why children may increase intracranial pressure? This issue is of concern to many parents. Intracranial pressure may increase for different reasons, most often it is a consequence of some diseases and intoxications during pregnancy.

What is intracranial pressure and why it develops

Intracranial pressure - the pressure fluid in the void spaces of the brain and spinal cord - brain ventricles, spinal canal, and so on. The pressure of the fluid can fluctuate normally, while improving the physical and mental stress. For example, an infant Baby man, though with a little finger   increased intracranial pressure during crying, sucking, and decreases at rest.

Pathologically increased intracranial pressure in children can occur against the backdrop of perinatal brain lesions (arising in the second half of pregnancy, childbirth and in the first four weeks after birth), injuries, intoxications, infections, tumors. Very often different brain lesions develop during pregnancy in oxygen starvation (hypoxia) of the fetus. Increased intracranial pressure can also increase at too early closure of large fontanelle.

As shown

The children first year of life increased intracranial pressure can be detected by measuring the circumference of the head: it increases faster than normal. Therefore, pediatricians and pediatric neurologists have special tables with normal age distribution of growth, the volume of the chest and head. In addition, a baby often vomits, cries for no reason (in fact, the reason is - a headache), refuses to drink, he can shake the handle and chin. Eyeballs bulging of the child and laid down (this feature is called a "symptom of the setting sun"), there may be cross-eyed Strabismus - how to find the cause? . Large fontanelle child with increased intracranial pressure Increased intracranial pressure is dangerous for the brain   bulging and pulsing noticeable to the eye.

For children of preschool and school age increased intracranial pressure manifested constant headaches, worse neuropsychological overvoltage and high information loads. Often background headaches nausea and vomiting that does not bring relief. The behavior of such a child may not always be adequate, it often changes the mood, there is increased irritability Irritability - you try to control my temper . Sometimes these children have convulsions (especially against the heat in infectious diseases) and strabismus. All this leads to mental retardation, and backwardness in school.

Diagnostics

To confirm the presence of the child in intracranial pressure and to identify the causes of its development (ie to establish a definitive diagnosis) children under one year is carried out ultrasonography (US) of the brain through a "window" in the skull of the uncovered large fontanelle.

After the anterior fontanelle closes conduct such a study would not be possible, so the children after a year to detect the increased intracranial pressure is carried out with magnetic resonance or computed tomography (CT or MRI).

In addition, children with suspected increased intracranial pressure certainly looks optometrist: identification of swelling of the optic nerve during the fundus examination confirms the presence of increased intracranial pressure.

All of these studies reveals both the underlying disease that caused the increase in intracranial pressure. To measure the intracranial pressure can only by puncture - inserting the needle into the ventricles of the brain or spinal cord.

If the child is growing rapidly the volume of the head, in the fundus visible stagnation of the optic nerves, and on US - increasing the ventricles of the brain, he is diagnosed with hydrocephalus.

Treatment of diseases accompanied by increased intracranial pressure

With a slight increase in intracranial pressure the child prescribed drugs that improve cerebral blood flow and metabolism in the brain (eg, cavinton, nootropics) and restorative treatment (physiotherapy, massage).

In the treatment of diseases which are accompanied by a pronounced increase in intracranial pressure, used diuretics (eg diakarb). If the child is very restless, not sleeping at night, prescribed anti-anxiety (sedatives) and sleeping pills.

If conservative treatment does not give the desired effect, the child is sent to a neurosurgeon for consultation and, if necessary, it is carried out surgical treatment.

Galina Romanenko

Hepatitis C in children often is the result of intrauterine infection or infection during childbirth from the sick mother. But the proportion of children infected in the same way as adults, blood transfusion, dental treatment and a variety of medical procedures using improperly treated equipment.

As the baby can be infected with hepatitis C

Most often occurs perinatal (during pregnancy, childbirth and the first few days after birth) infection with hepatitis C from the child's sick mother. The possibility of intrauterine fetal infection with hepatitis C from the sick mother is small. The risk of fetal infection mostly large only when maternal blood abundantly present hepatitis C virus (HCV RNA). If her blood virus is not present, there is no risk of infection.

But because of the mother's blood in the blood of the child fall antibodies to hepatitis C, can persist in the blood of a child up to 1, 5-2 years. HCV antibodies in the blood of the newborn did not say that the child is sick with hepatitis C, by contrast, the antibodies will protect the baby from infection. Examination of a child for hepatitis C should be carried out within six months after birth (detect the presence of viruses in the blood of HCV - RNA HCV) and 1, 5 years (a blood test for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus RNA and HCV).

The child may also become infected with hepatitis C through blood transfusions during surgery or any medical procedure, treatment of teeth and so on, if used properly processed instruments. As a teenager infected with hepatitis C can be in tattoo parlors, body piercing during installation. The source of infection are drug addicts who inject drugs often to use one syringe for a few people.

Symptoms of hepatitis C in children

Hepatitis C in children proceeds in basically the same as that of the adults. That is, immediately after infection, it takes place in the acute form, and after a while the child or recovering, or disease becomes chronic. A feature of hepatitis C in children is a strong tendency to move the disease from becoming chronic, more severe and relatively rapid formation of liver cirrhosis with chronic liver failure.

Acute hepatitis C Hepatitis C - "the tender murderer"   usually occurs in children with minimal symptoms. Above all, parents should alert symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, fatigue of the child, his lack of appetite. This should be a cause for doctor visits and a full examination of the child.

But some children symptoms of acute hepatitis Acute hepatitis - always seriously   With are more pronounced, and cycling during typical of all viral hepatitis. The disease begins approximately 6-7 weeks from possible contamination (for example, after the piercing). Characterized by the appearance of fever, general malaise, headaches, pains in muscles and joints. At the same time, in the blood can detect elevated liver enzymes (this is a consequence of the destruction of liver cells by viruses).

After one to two weeks it begins the second phase of the disease - icteric. The skin and sclera become jaundiced baby, itching, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes unstable chair. In the right hypochondrium felt pain or heaviness. The blood of the child at this time can be found elevated bilirubin. Jaundice period lasts one to two months, followed by a period of recovery, which can last several months and the child recovers or disease (usually) becomes chronic.

Chronic hepatitis Hepatitis - the scourge of our time   Since children may also occur, but most often in childhood and adolescence, the disease has a wavy character with exacerbations and remissions and the same wave-like changes in laboratory parameters. The risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver at the same time is very large.

Treatment of hepatitis C in children

Hepatitis C in children requires the use of antiviral drugs. Unfortunately, not all suitable antiviral agents for treatment of children, some of them have significant side effects.

The drugs of choice in the treatment of hepatitis C Treatment of hepatitis C - not an easy task   children are interferons. In particular, for the treatment of children after three years of such a drug is recommended as Roferon A. As a second antiviral drug in children over the age of 7 years can be applied drug rimantadine, which has antiviral activity against RNA viruses, suppressing their reproduction.

The structure of the complex treatment of hepatitis C must include drugs that have a beneficial effect on the liver cells - hepatoprotectors. The drug of choice in the treatment of hepatitis C in children is ursodeoxycholic acid (ursosan).

Hepatitis C in children requires timely detection and treatment.

Galina Romanenko