- Main symptoms
- Possible causes
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- Types of microcephaly
- How the treatment is done
- Is Microcephaly Curable?
Microcephaly is a disease in which the head and brain of children are smaller than normal for their age and this can be caused by malformation during pregnancy caused by the use of chemicals or infections by bacteria or viruses, such as Zika viruses, for example.
This disease can alter the child's mental development, because the bones of the head, which at birth are separated, unite very early, preventing the brain from growing and developing its capabilities normally. Because of this, a child with microcephaly may need lifelong care, but this is usually confirmed after the first year of life and will depend a lot on how much the brain has managed to develop and which parts of the brain are most compromised. See how is the monitoring of a child with microcephaly.
Main symptoms
The main characteristic of microcephaly is the head and brain smaller than normal for the child's age, which does not generate symptoms, however it can compromise the child's development, and there may be:
- Visual problems; Hearing loss; Mental retardation; Intellectual deficit; Paralysis; Seizures; Epilepsy; Autism.
This condition can also lead to the emergence of stiffness in the body's muscles, known scientifically as spasticity, as these muscles are controlled by the brain and in the case of microcephaly this function is impaired.
Understand more about microcephaly and how to care for a baby with this problem by watching the following video:
Possible causes
One of the main causes related to microcephaly is infection by the Zika and Chikungunya viruses during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy. However, this situation can also happen due to:
- Infections such as rubella, cytomegalovirus and toxoplasmosis; Consumption of cigarettes, alcohol or drugs, such as cocaine and heroin during pregnancy; Rett syndrome; Mercury or copper poisoning; Meningitis; Malnutrition; Maternal HIV; Metabolic diseases in the mother, such as phenylketonuria; Exposure radiation during pregnancy; use of medications against epilepsy, hepatitis or cancer in the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Microcephaly can also be genetic and occurs in children who have other diseases such as West syndrome, Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome, for example. Therefore, the child with microcephaly who also has any of these syndromes may have other physical characteristics, disabilities and even more complications than children who have only microcephaly.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of microcephaly can be made during pregnancy, with prenatal exams, such as ultrasound, for example, and can be confirmed right after delivery by measuring the size of the baby's head, made by a nurse or doctor. Find out when to perform an ultrasound during pregnancy.
In addition, tests such as computed tomography or brain magnetic resonance imaging also help to measure the severity of microcephaly and what its possible consequences will be for the baby's development.
Types of microcephaly
Some studies divide microcephaly into some types, such as:
- Primary microcephaly: this type occurs when there are failures in the production of neurons, which are brain cells, during fetal development; Postnatal microcephaly: it is the type in which the child is born with the appropriate skull and brain size, but the development of these parts does not follow the child's growth; Familial microcephaly: happens when the child is born with a smaller skull, but does not have neurological changes, and this is because the child's parents also have a smaller head.
There is yet another type called relative microcephaly, in which children with neurological problems have problems with growth of the skull, but it is a very little classification used by doctors.
In addition, some studies classify microcephaly as primary, when the baby's skull bones close during pregnancy, up to 7 months, or secondary, when the bones close in the final stage of pregnancy or after the baby is born.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of microcephaly does not cure the disease, but the pediatrician or neurologist may recommend a series of care and medications that help to reduce the consequences of delayed mental development of the child.
Surgery can be recommended to slightly separate the bones of the skull in the first 2 months of life, avoiding compression of the brain. When in addition to microcephaly the child has hydrocephalus, which is the presence of fluid inside the brain, there is also the possibility of placing a drain to control this fluid. Understand more what hydrocephalus is and how treatment is done.
In addition, it may be necessary to use medications that help the child's day-to-day life, such as medicines to take or botox injection to decrease muscle spasms and improve muscle tension.
Physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy are also indicated to assist in the child's physical and mental development, so the more stimulation the child has, the better the results will be, being the most important period for this stimulation between 0 and 3 years, time of greater response to these stimuli.
Is Microcephaly Curable?
Microcephaly has no cure because the factor that prevents brain development, which is the early union of bones that forms the skull, cannot be removed. If this early union of bones occurs during pregnancy, the consequences may be more serious because the brain does not develop very much, but there are cases where the union of these bones occurs at the end of pregnancy or after birth, and in this case, the child may have less serious consequences.
