Every parent worries about the he alth of their child, no matter how old the child is. However, newborn babies are most prone to various troubles, so alarming symptoms can cause serious concern.
After birth, a child can be diagnosed with various congenital or acquired pathologies that could not be detected during a woman's pregnancy. For example, encephalopathy, unspecified in infants, belongs to such a disease. Symptoms of the disease are somewhat similar to a brain tumor, since in this case this part of the body also suffers. This pathology can be triggered by several factors at once. But most often the main reason for the appearance of encephalopathy is that the mother during pregnancy decided not to give up bad habits or there was a birth injury.
If we talk about the prognosis for recovery, then with such a diagnosis, everything directly depends on how quickly and efficiently the diagnosis was made and therapeutic measures were started. ATin any case, do not ignore the symptoms that are given in this article, as they can signal a rather serious lesion.
General information
According to ICD-10, encephalopathy, unspecified, is listed under the number G93. It is noteworthy that most often the manifestations of this pathology are found in very tiny children who have just been born. However, often such diagnoses are not confirmed. Therefore, it is worth listening to the opinion of several experts.
If we talk about encephalopathy (ICD-10 G93), then it can also occur in adults. Symptoms in this case will be similar. But, if we compare childhood and adult encephalopathy, then you need to understand that a fragile body is more tender and unstable. He can suffer from any injury, especially if it occurs in the head area.
The risk of developing a serious illness remains even if a small patient has received timely treatment. Therefore, you should be very careful about the manifestations that may indicate this disease. It is also worth considering in more detail the varieties and forms of pathology.
Types of encephalopathy
There is a certain classification of this disease. For example, a disease can be congenital and hereditary, or developing in the mother's womb. The latter is commonly called perinatal encephalopathy in infants. A child, just like an adult, can also suffer from an acquired pathology. This happens if his body was influenced by harmful factors that affected the activity.brain.
The symptoms of this pathology do not differ in adults and children. It is also worth noting that the development of the disease can be provoked not only by the fact that during pregnancy the mother did not adhere to serious rules, but also by birth trauma. In this case, this type of pathology is usually called residual. About 10% of all women in labor suffer from birth trauma. To better understand how encephalopathy develops, what kind of disease it is and the features of its treatment, it is worth considering the classification depending on the manifestation of the disease. This information will be useful to new parents.
Toxic encephalopathy
Also, this kind of pathology is called discircular. With the development of this form of the disease, changes in the organic type may occur in the brain of the newborn. They affect the activity of neurons against the background of vascular diseases or the fact that toxins have entered the blood of the baby.
In this case, there are so-called unspecified reasons. In addition, toxic encephalopathy in infants can be the result of vascular insufficiency (arterial and venous), blood diseases, viral or infectious pathologies, as well as ailments that adversely affect the activity of other organs. The list of all unpleasant diseases is much wider. These are just the main ones.
Features of the manifestation of the toxic form
If we talk about the symptoms of this type of encephalopathy in infants, then first of all you should pay attention to the quality of the child's sleep. If ahe falls asleep for a long time and is naughty throughout the night, this can lead to a deterioration in perception and the fact that the baby's psyche will suffer. In this case, we are talking about the so-called pseudoneurasthenic syndromes.
Additionally, you should pay attention to the appearance of dizziness and uncertainty when walking (the baby may begin to stagger). Doctors also diagnose problems with blood pressure readings. In addition, there may be a deterioration in the functioning of the organs of vision and hearing. In rare cases, the situation comes to the failure of the child's brain.
Since the development of encephalopathy in infants negatively affects the nervous system of a fragile organism, the baby may begin to show serious tearfulness and increased nervousness. In worse situations, young patients even develop epileptic seizures. If treatment is not prescribed in a timely manner, this will lead to serious abnormalities in the functioning of the brain, which may be irreversible. The so-called stagnation of consciousness may develop. This means that the child will be in prostration all the time, periodically fainting, etc.
Perinatal
This type of encephalopathy in infants, as a rule, is first diagnosed in the last 12 weeks of a woman's pregnancy or immediately at the time of childbirth. In this case, the cause may also be unspecified.
For example, this form of encephalopathy can develop on the background of stress, poor nutrition or serious pathologies, fromwhich the expectant mother suffered, but did not carry out timely treatment. This is most often experienced by women who are diagnosed with pneumonia or anemia.
Bilirubin
In this case, the causes of encephalopathy in infants are associated with the development of hemolytic diseases. They, in turn, are caused by the fact that the blood type of the child and mother are incompatible. In this case, the bilirubin index, which has not yet been processed by the liver, will be slightly increased. This, in turn, leads to a rather strong toxic poisoning. Dangerous substances can enter the baby's brain and disrupt normal activities.
The so-called bilirubin disease can also be triggered by causes that also cause the development of jaundice. Pathology sometimes manifests itself against the background of sepsis, birth injuries, toxoplasmosis, and a tendency to diabetes in the mother of the baby. As a result of the development of the disease, disturbances occur in the process of tissue metabolism. Immunity falls, and body functions gradually begin to fail.
Bilirubin encephalopathy in infants: symptoms, external manifestations
If we talk about the clinical picture of this form of pathology, then conditionally it can be divided into three successive phases. At the first stage, signs characteristic of ordinary food poisoning appear. The child suffers from nausea, weakness and decreased muscle tone. However, parents should be embarrassed that the usual treatment regimen in this situation does not give any result. The baby continues to spit up too often and refuses to takefood.
The next stage is characterized by the appearance of specific symptoms of encephalopathy in infants, which correspond to kernicterus. Small patients begin to constantly clench their hands into fists, and their joints are very poorly extended. During the movement of the neck, the child has pain. Also, this form of encephalopathy can cause an increase in temperature and a failure in the breathing process.
In the third stage, the situation may improve. However, such manifestations have only a short-term effect. After a while, the child may begin to show increased symptoms. Ultimately, there is a risk of even cerebral palsy. Also among the symptoms of the third stage, one can distinguish the rolling of the iris over the centuries.
Diagnosis
If parents have a suspicion that their baby is suffering from encephalopathy, what kind of disease should be clarified with a specialist. First of all, you need to see a neurologist. He will conduct a standard examination and questioning. After that, it is necessary to undergo an examination, which includes an MRI of the baby's brain, EEG and ECHO-EG, as well as ultrasound of the vessels of the head. Additionally, rheoencephalography is performed.
Thanks to these diagnostic measures, it becomes possible to get a complete picture of the state of the baby's vascular system, as well as to note the possible appearance of morphological changes in the brain. Any deviations must be taken into account.
The doctor also conducts additional tests and determines how the activity of the brain of a small patient is associated withintracranial pressure. In addition, the list of these measures allows you to clarify the diagnosis and exclude any other serious pathologies, for example, a brain tumor, which may present with similar symptoms.
It is mandatory to pass a general blood and urine test. Doctors also perform ultrasound of internal organs.
Since we are talking about cerebral encephalopathy in infants, the doctor must be extremely careful when expressing any theories. He must be sure of the correctness of the diagnosis, so as not to harm the fragile baby. Therefore, most often, if this pathology is suspected, a council is assembled, consisting of qualified specialists in different fields. A cardiologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, pulmonologist and others can take part in the research.
Parents cannot understand the complaints of the baby, as he simply cannot explain his condition. Accordingly, the overall picture of manifestations is rather blurred. Therefore, the doctor should rely not only on the description of the symptoms received from the mother and father of a small patient, but also take advantage of the experience of colleagues who may have encountered such ailments more often in their practice.
You need to understand that the treatment of encephalopathy is a very complex process that takes a lot of time. It often happens that the changes that have occurred in the brain remain with the child forever. Therefore, it is important not to let the patient's condition worsen.
Encephalopathy in infants: consequences of pathology
It is easy to guess that this disease is extremely dangerous. If we talk about complications, then in this case it all depends on the severity and stage of development of the disease. The consequences can be very different. If the baby suffered a mild form of encephalopathy and treatment was started in a timely manner, then complications can be avoided in this case.
A third of children diagnosed with this disease are completely cured and begin to lead a completely normal life. However, timely detection of pathology is not always possible. If this happened, then, most likely, some of the nerve cells have already been irretrievably damaged. In this case, you can expect the most dangerous consequences. For example, a child may begin to seriously lag behind in development. This is the most common complication of this pathology.
As the child grows older, problems with memorization and concentration may appear. It is more difficult for him to learn, so it may be necessary to send the child to a specialized school. In addition, serious disturbances in the work of some internal organs, as well as systems, may occur. This, in turn, often leads to the development of severe and even life-threatening pathologies.
Treatment
It is worth noting that in no case should you even try to treat this pathology yourself. At this age, it is very dangerous to give children any drugs without a proper prescription from a doctor.
Methods of treatment of encephalopathy in infants may differ depending on the form and stage of the disease. If the child is suffering from an acuteforms of pathology, then in this case it is necessary to immediately reduce the internal cranial pressure. This will help get rid of cramps and other dangerous symptoms. By and large, such a surgical intervention is the only way that can save the life of a small patient.
Also, the removal of puffiness and relief of the patient's condition is provided by artificial ventilation of the lungs and the normalization of metabolic processes. For this, the doctor prescribes specialized drugs, as well as drugs from the category of angioprotectors. They are necessary in order to strengthen the walls of the vascular system and properly adjust the outflow of venous blood.
In some situations, treatment includes the use of tranquilizers, which are necessary in order to calm the baby during attacks. At the same time, it is necessary to support the child's immune system. For this, as a rule, vitamin complexes are used.
Forecasts
If we talk about the prospects that await a child who has undergone this pathology, then everything depends not only on how quickly the doctors took action, but also on the rehabilitation period. At this time, the doctor recommends massage, exercise therapy and other courses of physiotherapy exercises.
It is imperative to monitor the baby's rest regimen, walk with him, spend as much time as possible in the fresh air and give preference only to proper nutrition.
Forecasts of encephalopathy in infants are different. But in most situations,With proper treatment and rehabilitation, recovery occurs within a few years. When the baby reaches this age, it will be possible to determine whether he is behind his peers in development. Most often, this happens only with complications.
How to prevent the development of dangerous pathology
According to statistics and observations of doctors, problems begin at the moment when the mother of the unborn baby does not follow all the necessary recommendations. If a woman leads a he althy lifestyle, takes the necessary vitamins, is often in the fresh air, is not nervous and does not engage in heavy physical exertion, then, as a rule, the possibility of developing an illness in a baby is minimized.
However, you need to understand that pathology can also form against the background of various injuries. Therefore, a woman needs to be as careful as possible. If you experience any unpleasant symptoms, it is better to play it safe and consult a specialist for recommendations.
In addition, doctors recommend to stop drinking coffee and chocolate, as well as completely eliminate alcohol, cigarettes and other bad habits. Even passive smoking can cause the initial stage of the development of a host of ailments.
However, even if a woman fulfills all the prescriptions, she is not protected from birth trauma. But do not despair. Today, medicine does not stand still. In 80% of cases, it is possible to completely get rid of severe pathology during the first year of a baby's life.
