Increased intracranial pressure in children: symptoms and treatment

Increased intracranial pressure is a very serious pathology that can be inherited from parents to children. For many patients, this can seem like a scary diagnosis. But a pathology of this kind is not a reason for unrest and panic. According to experts, not in every case, increased intracranial pressure indicates the presence of a serious illness. To make sure that there is no serious problem, it is extremely important to diagnose and understand the main reasons for its development.

What is VCHD?

This liquid accumulating substance is called cerebrospinal fluid. It usually stabilizes in the so-called ventricles of the brain. The initial purpose of CSF is to prevent damage to the gray matter, as well as to protect it from high overloads. Simply put, cerebrospinal fluid helps to avoid various injuries, as well as concussions.

There are many reasons for increased intracranial pressure. Often intracranial pressure can rise without the presence of pathology.

Usually in children it rises in the case of:

• High loads.
• stress.
• Cough.
• Increase in body temperature.
• Development of a cold.

This kind of increased intracranial pressure practically does not pose any danger to children over the age of 2 years. But if ICP is observed in infants or in children under 1.5 years old, and, in addition, it appears periodically, then you should immediately seek medical help.

Increased arterial or intracranial pressure often indicates a predisposition to a pathology that can provoke this kind of symptom in a child. With the periodic manifestation of this symptom, it is necessary to carefully examine the baby in order to further detect the disease that causes it to rise.

Most often, increased intracranial pressure is associated with the development of such ailments as:

• Benign neoplasms in the brain.

Most often in children, supporting tissue becomes inflamed. This phenomenon subsequently develops into a tumor. This ailment contributes to the occurrence of high blood pressure. The main symptoms are headaches and increased cranial pressure. Treatment of this disease is carried out under the strict supervision of an oncologist.

• Malignant neoplasms in the brain.

The principle of development of a malignant tumor is the same as that of a normal one. The difference lies only in the additional neoplasms that the malignant tumor provokes. With this disease, the cranial pressure also increases significantly. Treatment of this disease should be carried out immediately after diagnosis.

• Encephalitis.

The main symptoms of this disease are increased cranial pressure and pain in the temples. This ailment is an inflammation of the brain tissue, which subsequently affects the swelling of the brain, which causes increased cranial pressure.

• Slow fusion of the bones of the skull.

This phenomenon is predominantly observed in children under the age of 2 years. Increased cranial pressure in these children is due to the fact that the bones of the skull of the brain do not have time to grow together, and in the meantime, the brain continues to grow naturally, which contributes to the occurrence of intracranial pressure. Specific treatment of this phenomenon, as a rule, is not carried out.

• Meningitis.

The cause of this disease in children is usually hypothermia of the brain. Symptoms of meningitis are increased cranial pressure and the appearance of swelling in the brain area.

• Hereditary pathologies and defects.

This phenomenon, like other causes, can also cause pressure inside the skull. Most often, birth defects are diagnosed in children under the age of 3 years, while pathologies can develop much later.

• Hemorrhage inside the brain.

With a hemorrhage in the brain, blood spreads over large spaces, while the place where the hemorrhage occurred is characterized by increased tissue pressure. This phenomenon requires urgent treatment, as it contributes to the additional release of cerebrospinal fluid.

• Mechanical damage.

At the site of injury in children, swelling or hematoma occurs, resulting in increased cranial pressure. Also, mechanical damage or this kind of injury can provoke symptoms such as aching and shooting headaches.

• Hydrocephalus.

A very rare disease, which is characterized by excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cerebrospinal fluid channels. Hydrocephalus obstructs the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, which becomes the main cause of pressure inside the skull. The disease is predominantly a genetic disease that can be passed from parent to child. It is most often diagnosed in children under 3 years of age.

Symptoms of intracranial hypertension in a child

The most common symptoms that causes increased cranial pressure.

• Cry.

This symptom most often manifests itself in the evening and at night. This is due to the special structure of the venous and cerebrospinal fluid system. Closer to nighttime, when the child goes to bed and takes a supine position, venous blood circulation begins to slow down, but at the same time, the volume of cerebrospinal fluid, on the contrary, increases, which causes intracranial hypertension.

• Nausea.

Symptoms such as nausea and vomiting are exclusively reflex symptoms. Increased cranial pressure is characterized by irritation of certain parts of the brain, including the one in which the center responsible for gag reflexes is located. In a child, a symptom can occur due to completely different circumstances, therefore, relying solely on this indicator, it is almost impossible to identify the presence of pathology.

• Enlarged skull.

This sign is characterized by an increase in the size of the head due to the divergence of bone tissues at the sutures of the skull, as well as an increase in the frontal part. This is caused by a high accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the CSF space. Most often, this phenomenon occurs in children under the age of 3 years. It is worth noting that most often an increase in head size is associated with hydrocephalus. This disease is quite dangerous, so its treatment should be started as early as possible.

• Pronounced venous network on the head of a child.

As you know, in the veins of a person there is low pressure, and in the absence of movement, even negative pressure. The high pressure inside the child's skull contributes to the filling of venous blood in the network, as a result of which the network expands and becomes clearly visible.

• Refusal of the child from the breast.

When breastfeeding, a child naturally increases ICP. However, in the presence of pathology, feeding for the child becomes extremely painful, and quite often the child himself refuses to breastfeed.

• Slow work of the optic nerves.

Most often, this symptom is observed in children aged 0 to 2 years. This symptom is usually associated with the trauma that the child received during childbirth. Disorders of work occur periodically, and are accompanied by the fall of the eyeballs down.

As for the symptoms that appear in children over the age of 4 years, they include:

• Frequent headaches that come on in the evening and at night.
• Constant irritability, crying, frequent awakenings at night.
• Blurred vision, double vision, white ripples or darkening. This symptom occurs when the optic nerves are strongly irritated.
• Nausea and vomiting. Provoked by irritation of the medulla oblongata under pressure. Vomiting under pressure differs from the usual one in that it does not subsequently cause relief.

Features of diagnostics

The only method that allows you to accurately measure and compare pressure inside the skull is a spinal tap. This method in the treatment of children is used very rarely, as it is invasive.

Also in modern medicine there are many other ways by which you can diagnose and identify the disease by a number of signs.

During the diagnosis, such an ailment as Graefe's disease (slowed work of the optic nerves) can also be detected. To make an accurate diagnosis, most likely, the specialist will additionally prescribe a visit to the ophthalmologist. After all, it is known that with high pressure inside the skull, changes are possible that occur in the fundus of the eye. When the change expands the veins and capillary channels, resulting in a "spasm" of the artery.

At the moment, one of the most reliable methods for examining a child under the age of one year is an ultrasound examination through the “fontanelle”. This method is called neurosonography. Such a study reveals an increase in the interhemispheric gap, as well as the size of the ventricles of the brain. The study most accurately determines the deformation, if any, and also reveals volumetric formations in the child's brain.

An examination using neurosonography is mandatory in the first month of life. In general, such a procedure can be carried out only three times with an interval of 3 months. The need for this procedure is due to the fact that many parents believe that if no pathologies were found during the 1st examination, then there is no reason for concern. However, this is a common misconception, as the situation can change at any time. If the child has an overgrown crown or the so-called "fontanelle", then in this case, in addition to the examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is performed by specialists. Tomography is effective as an ultrasound method, but it is possible to examine a child with an MRI only if prescribed by a doctor.

Prevention and treatment of high ICP

Such a phenomenon as increased ICP is quite dangerous for children.

This is due to the fact that this phenomenon can cause the development of complications such as:

• Violation of the psychological state.
• Visual impairment.
• The occurrence of epilepsy.

• In cases of pinched cerebellum, coordination of movements may be impaired, as well as respiratory failure, which will be accompanied by weakness in the limbs.

When making such a diagnosis, parents should consider the following points:

1. High intracranial pressure is curable. To date, there are a huge number of drugs and techniques that are quite capable of curing this pathology.
2. In no case do not engage in dubious methods of self-treatment. It is necessary to follow the instructions of a specialist.
3. Treatment of pathology should be comprehensive.
4. In infants, intracranial pressure, as a rule, is not related to a hereditary factor. The cause of the occurrence is the course of pregnancy and directly in childbirth.

Methods of treatment of ICP depend on the ailment that provoked its increase.

The most common methods of treatment and prevention are:

• Little physical activity.
• The use of diuretic drugs.
• Sleep compliance.
• Prolonged exposure to fresh air.
• The use of medicines and procedures that help improve blood circulation inside the brain.
• The use of drugs that have a calming effect.

With anatomical defects and tumors resort to surgical intervention. With such a rare disease as hydrocephalus, they resort to a surgical operation, do a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. The essence of the intervention is to remove excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain.

Increased intracranial pressure is a very common phenomenon among children. It can be caused both by the influence of external factors, and by the development of various kinds of diseases or pathologies. If increased intracranial pressure is due to the influence of external factors, then no specific effect is required, however, if its increase provoked any disease, then treatment is carried out by a specialist on an individual basis.