Why do babies twitch in their sleep? Sleeping badly? Waking up several times a night with intense crying? These are common questions that parents come to see a pediatric neurologist with. Sometimes the answer lies literally on the surface, and the prescribed treatment immediately helps. However, more often than not, a comprehensive examination is required to determine the cause. One of his items is the baby's sleep EEG.
Medical certificate
Electroencephalography, or EEG, is a study of the bioelectrical potentials of the brain. The most informative results from this procedure can be obtained in a dream. This allows:
- detect seizure activity;
- identify the affected part of the CNS;
- set the stage of the disease;
- evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.
During the procedure, the patient is put on a special cap with many sensors. From them, information enters the computer monitor or is printed on tape, which visually resemblescardiogram of the heart.
Quite often, EEG monitoring is prescribed for young children to assess brain function. Research during sleep tells about he alth much more than during wakefulness. This method is used today by doctors all over the world.
Writing methods
There are several options for electroencephalography:
- Routine recording while awake. Her help is usually resorted to for the primary diagnosis of the disease.
- EEG with night sleep deprivation. The patient is prevented from sleeping through the night, which makes it possible to detect latent seizure activity.
- Recording during a long nap. Recommended for suspected increased seizure activity during sleep.
- Night sleep monitoring. This is the most informative diagnostic method. Sometimes it is accompanied by video filming, a study of the state of the heart and the severity of muscle relaxation.
Some mental abnormalities cannot be seen on standard electroencephalography. During sleep, all changes actively manifest themselves.
Indications for the appointment of the procedure
EEG is not performed as a preventive measure. This examination method is prescribed in case of dysfunction of the child's central nervous system, which can manifest itself with the following symptoms:
- restless sleep and repeated awakenings;
- sleep talk;
- epilepsy attacks;
- urinary incontinence (in children over 4 years old);
- autism;
- delayspeech/physical development.
The presence of one or several problems from the list above is an indication for a comprehensive examination of the body, an EEG of a child's sleep. Not always identified mental disorders are fatal. In most cases, the disease can be cured, and the deviation can be corrected.
Sleep deprivation in children
Sleep deprivation, or regular lack of sleep, is a problem that not only adults, but also children have to face.
In babies, it may be due to intrauterine lesions of the central nervous system, including birth trauma. In preschool children, deprivation is associated with a lack of attention from adults. We are talking about situations where a child, for example, is bought a lot of gifts, but at the same time they talk or walk a little with him. At school age, increased anxiety associated with a new team, communication with peers, mastering educational material comes to the fore.
Constant lack of sleep leads to he alth problems, the development of neuroses. Therefore, even at the initial stage, it is necessary to find out the causes of the disorder and begin therapy. Night EEG helps in this matter.
Preparing for the study
Examination of the body of a young patient is quite specific and requires special preparation. It is very difficult to make a baby sit in a hat with sensors on his head for 1-2 hours if normal monitoring is carried out. Also, special efforts are needed to get the child to sleep for theprocedures.
Research is rarely done at home. Usually a small patient is invited to a hospital or clinic, where the rooms are specially equipped (muffled light, calm music, toys). On the part of parents, it is necessary not to give the child a good night's sleep the day before.
If the EEG is scheduled between 8 and 10 am, the baby should be woken up as early as 2 am. Mom and dad should entertain him in every possible way and not let him go to bed again. This increases the likelihood of the procedure being successful. For very young children, doctors advise preparing formula or milk in advance so that the child falls asleep faster in the diagnostic room.
Medications should not be given the day before the study. If there is an urgent need for them, this should be reported to the doctor. Otherwise, the baby's sleep EEG results will be distorted.
Special attention should be paid to nutrition. A few days before the date of diagnosis, it is necessary to limit sweet and s alty foods. You can not drink a lot of fluids and eat foods that can affect the stool. The diet should be habitual. If the baby has colic or intestinal upset, quality sleep can be forgotten.
Immediately before the procedure, it is recommended to wash the hair of a small patient well, remove hairpins and elastic bands. You need to take wet wipes with you to wipe the gel from the head after the EEG, which is applied under the sensors.
Stages and technique of conducting EEG
How doEEG? The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. At the appointed time, the parents arrive with the child. The examination room has a comfortable bed for him to sleep on.
The doctor puts a special cap with built-in sensors on the head of a small patient. From them, the signal goes through the wires through the amplifiers to the encephalograph. EEG waves are so weak that the child practically does not feel them. The procedure itself is painless. During the study, parents should monitor the position of the patient's body so as not to distort the results of the study.
If a child is naughty for a long time in the office and cannot fall asleep, mom and dad should not worry and yell at him. This is a completely natural situation. Some need to first run, look around and explore new territory. Sooner or later, the baby will fall asleep, and the specialist will be able to diagnose.
Survey results
Normally, the EEG of sleep shows the work of the brain and the mental state of the child. According to its results, the presence of epilepsy, autism is determined. In addition, the doctor can talk about the causes of restless sleep, frequent awakenings.
In most cases, after identifying a problem, a small patient is sent for a consultation with a neurologist, where he receives treatment. After some time, it is recommended to re-examine in order to assess the effectiveness of the therapy. It is important to consider: with age, the EEG changes in children, as their activity increases, activities vary, etc.
Possible contraindications
Contraindications for a baby's sleep EEG are minimal and include:
- presence of head lice;
- allergy to the gel used during the procedure (occurs in exceptional cases);
- infectious diseases in the acute stage.
Temperature or cough are not contraindications to the study. On the contrary, they are considered favorable for diagnosis, since the body is under additional stress. In case of deterioration in the medical institution, there are always doctors who can provide the necessary assistance.
Method advantages
Today EEG is done both in Russia and abroad. This is not surprising, because this method of examination has a lot of advantages:
- This is the only diagnostic method that can be used to evaluate the condition and functionality of the brain.
- Electroencephalogram can fully tell about the mental state of the patient, which is necessary for the correct diagnosis when abnormalities are detected.
- The procedure is absolutely safe for he alth. Therefore, they resort to her help even when examining newborn children.
- EEG is a painless procedure. During its implementation, injections or the introduction of instruments for subsequent manipulations are not required.
Where is electroencephalography performed?
If the baby cries in a dream without waking up, or the baby hassigns of autism, parents first turn to a neurologist or pediatrician. Any of the listed specialists, after studying the complaints and the general clinical picture, gives a referral to the EEG.
The procedure, in turn, is carried out in the clinic's hospital. The study requires special equipment and trained specialists who monitor the position of the sensors and the patient himself throughout the entire time of diagnosis.
Service cost
The cost of the procedure varies depending on the region. For example, on the periphery it is much lower. In Moscow or St. Petersburg, you will have to pay from 400 to 1500 rubles for routine diagnostics. Night monitoring costs more (from 10 thousand rubles).
Parent reviews
The opinions of parents whose children have had an EEG of nocturnal sleep vary. However, most of them are positive. Moms and dads say that in the diagnostic room, the medical staff tries to create the most comfortable environment for relaxation: subdued lights, quiet and calm music, and the absence of bright objects.
In some cases, the doctors themselves try to calm and set the child up for the procedure. Of course, with school-age children it is possible to establish contact quickly. They tell kids that the beanie with sensors is a superhero helmet or a space flight helmet.
Special mention should be made of the results of the survey. Parents say that the EEG provides answers to literally all questions. Based on the results of the procedure, the doctor can explain why the child does not sleep well, why he haslag in speech or physical development. The treatment prescribed after that allows you to eliminate the disease or correct its manifestations.
Negative reviews are usually associated with the high cost of an electroencephalogram. The service can also be obtained free of charge, but the waiting list for an appointment is usually several weeks or even months. In some situations, you can not hesitate, so the parents agree to a paid procedure. After all, there is nothing more precious than the he alth of your own child.
