Birth of a baby is a moment the family has been waiting for. Of course, all parents want their children to be born healthy. But there are some things that can make the baby born first before a predetermined schedule or premature birth. Babies born prematurely can certainly grow healthy if they get the right treatment. Even so, there are still many health risks experienced by the baby born prematurely, one of them is brain disorders.
What is a premature baby?
Babies born prematurely are when the baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Some babies born close to 37 weeks may not have side effects, but some premature babies can show symptoms and disorders related to the maturity of their organs.
Week after week, the function of the baby's organs will be more mature in the mother's womb. If babies don't get the chance to develop fully in the womb, then chances are they can experience some disturbances in their organs, including developmental disorders in their brain.
Brain development disorders that often occur in premature babies
1. Interventricular Hemorrhage (IVH)
According to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, a hospital at Stanford University, IVH often occurs in premature babies who weigh less than 1.3-2.2 kg of birth weight.
This condition occurs when a vein in the brain of a premature baby breaks. This creates a pool of blood in the brain which can damage nerve cells. This condition often occurs followed by respiratory problems.
Symptoms are:
- Anemia
- Very high pitched crying sounds
- Having apnea (periods of stopping breathing)
- Seizures
- Weak when sucking milk
- Low heart rate
To diagnose the doctor performs an ultrasound examination of the head to help determine how much bleeding is in the baby's head. The higher the value, the greater damage to the baby's brain will occur.
2. Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL)
Periventricular leukomalacia is the second most common complication involving the nervous system in the brains of premature babies. PVL is a condition of nerve damage in the baby's brain that functions to regulate movement, the part of the brain involved is called white substance. Symptoms that can be caused by this brain disorder:
- The baby's muscles become seizures
- Muscles weaken
- Muscles tighten
- Accompanied by IVH
There is still no known cause of PVL, but this area of the white substance of the brain is indeed more susceptible to damage. Babies with this condition will increase the risk of cerebral palsy and developmental disorders. In addition this condition can be accompanied by IVH. Babies who are prone to PVL are babies who:
- Born before 30 weeks
- His mother had premature rupture of membranes
- His mother was diagnosed with an infection in the womb
3. Cerebral Palsy
Premature babies and low birth weight are closely related to cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a condition of brain injury or brain malformation that occurs during brain development before, during, or after birth.
The condition of brain injury or malformation can occur because there are various things when the brain nerve formation is disturbed. As a result, cerebral palsy makes the movement of children different from other children, starting from how the body controls muscle movement, muscle coordination, muscle contraction, body balance, and posture.
Doctors do not know the exact cause of cerebral palsy, but the earlier or the more premature the age of the baby is born, the greater the risk of developing cerebral palsy.
4. Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which fluid accumulates in the brain. Fluid accumulation causes enlargement of the ventricular part of the brain, so that the pressure of brain tissue also increases. This condition causes the shape of the head of a child with hydrocephalus to look enlarged.
Reported on the Hydrocephalus Association page, babies born prematurely have a greater risk of developing hydrocephalus, both due to IVH complications and experiencing hydrocephalus, or indeed experiencing direct hydrocephalus.
Not yet known the exact cause of this hydrocephalus. Doctors will diagnose hydrocephalus with MRI, CT scan or Cranial ultrasound. Furthermore, hydrocephalus treatment will be done by inserting a device that can help move extra fluid from the brain to other parts of the body.