Often, dads and mothers complain about some of the signs characteristic of the Gref symptom in an infant. It is also called the setting sun syndrome. What is this pathology, is it worth fearing and in what cases? Why can a baby bulge his eyes?
Infant Graefe Syndrome
What is the symptom of the setting sun in newborns
Often, Gref's syndrome is observed in hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome. This is a condition in which the ventricles of the brain contain a large amount of cerebrospinal fluid due to increased intracranial pressure. Clinically manifests itself in the appearance of a white stripe above the iris of the eye. This sign is especially well pronounced when the baby looks down or to the side.
Child's setting sun syndrome
The positive thing is that the presence of the Grefe symptom in newborns is not always associated with hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome. This disease is rarely found, although the symptom itself is quite common in infants under the age of one year. It is better to consult a doctor in time to prevent negative consequences.
Why is the child puffy, goggles
It is not uncommon for parents to notice that the child is bulging (the reasons why this is happening naturally worry them). The child can goggle and be completely healthy. If this condition manifests itself up to 4 months when the lighting is changed, do not worry. These may be features of focusing vision that have nothing to do with Graef's symptom.
Important! You should not panic in any case if you see some pathology of the eye. Inappropriate fear can only hurt.
Main manifestations
One of the main signs that the Grefe symptom has in infants is that the newborn goggles. DHypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome can be characterized by other signs, such as:
- Severe squint;
- Frequent and profuse regurgitation;
- Convulsions, sudden jerking of the baby in a dream;
- Low severity of congenital reflexes;
- Reduced muscle tone, arms and legs hang down.
Child goggles
If at least one of the above symptoms is found, it is necessary to draw the attention of the pediatrician to them.
Why is it dangerous
Without timely diagnosis and treatment of the setting sun syndrome, fecal and urinary incontinence, blindness and deafness, mental and physical retardation, epileptic seizures, coma and cerebral palsy can develop. Death is also possible.
Important! The sooner you see a doctor, the higher the likelihood that everything will be fine.
A strip above the iris in a baby
Dr. Komarovsky said that in most cases there is no cause for concern. It all depends on the results of the examination. If they are normal, then everything is fine. Therefore, you still need to contact a doctor for an ultrasound of the brain.
Causes of occurrence
How long does Gref's syndrome last? Normally, the Grefe symptom itself goes away about two weeks after the baby is born. In this case, the reason is the immaturity of the nervous system, which still needs to adapt to the new realities of life. If the baby is premature, the symptom of the setting sun in the baby may last longer, since it takes more time to adapt.
Among other things, the reason may be the structural features of the eyeball. Then no medical manipulations are needed. After a while, this feature won't get so much attention. If the baby has a confirmed diagnosis, parents should consult a neurologist.
More often syndrome caused by the following reasons:
- Diseases of a woman in the prenatal period;
- Delivery rate is too high or low;
- Complications in the prenatal period and during childbirth;
- Prematurity of the fetus or, conversely, postmaturity;
- Hereditary factors;
- Strengthening the functions of the thyroid gland - hyperthyroidism.
Symptom diagnosis
The main diagnostic method is neurosonography (in simple words, an ultrasound examination of the brain). As a result of the examination, it may be found that the baby has enlarged brain ventricles. In most cases, after this, they put on hypertensive syndrome, which in simple language is translated as "increased intracranial pressure."
Not always bulging eyes can talk about it. It may be such that the examination shows that everything is normal, but there are signs of a violation. Then the doctor prescribes additional examinations or says that you should not worry.
The doctor needs to compare the results of the NSG with a specific child. If the examination does not reveal pathology, but the baby is restless, does not feel well, then he needs medical attention.
What the doctor does
The actions taken by the doctor depend entirely on the symptoms and the rate of development of the disease. If the crumbs have bulging eyes as the only sign, but a terrible diagnosis is not found in the NSG, then it is enough just to regularly show the baby to a neurologist, as well as to carry out therapeutic exercises, massage and relaxing baths.
If hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome is detected, then at the initial stage the following outpatient measures are sufficient:
- Diuretics that reduce the production of cerebrospinal fluid.
- Nootropics are a group of drugs that improve the nutrition of the brain.
- Sedatives that relax the baby's nervous system.
If the rate of development of the disease is high, it is necessary to place the newborn in a neurosurgical hospital. This requires the installation of a shunt system that does not allow cerebrospinal fluid to linger in the head. It redirects it to the atrium or abdomen.
Important! There is currently no alternative to this method, despite the large number of complications of this operation.
In addition, endoscopic operations can be performed, which show less efficiency, but also minimize the likelihood of complications. True, in this case, you will still have to perform bypass surgery, albeit a little later.
Prevention and prognosis
If Grefe's symptom is caused by hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome, then the prognosis can vary from conditionally optimistic to pessimistic.
Possible complications
The list of complications of the disease without treatment is given above. The operation itself can also lead to negative consequences. Even if this does not happen, it is necessary to regularly show the child to a neurosurgeon, ophthalmologist and pediatric neurologist. Disability is registered for the kid.
At any time, the shunt system can stop performing its function. Therefore, reoperation may be required. Infection of the body is also possible due to poor-quality treatment.
None of these points are considered an argument against medical intervention. This is the only way to raise an adapted child.
Preventive measures
Prevention of the disease begins even before the birth of the child. It is necessary to carefully plan a pregnancy, be less nervous, constantly be monitored by a doctor, rest, do not start infectious diseases (including the flu), do not drink or smoke, and also eat right.
