Encephalocele: symptoms, causes, and treatment • hello healthy

Definition

What is an encephalocele?

Source: CDC

Encephalocele or encephalocele is a congenital birth defect or disorder when the baby's skull is not fully developed or the patient tube does not close completely during pregnancy.

This rudimentary development of the skull leaves some of the brain and surrounding tissue outside the skull. So, there is an opening from the nose to the back of the neck or through the middle of the skull.

However, the most common encephalocele openings are on the back of the head (see figure), at the top of the head, and between the forehead and nose.

So, encephalocele or encephalocele is a birth defect that causes a small, sac-like bulge or sphere that comes out through the opening of the baby's skull.

Occasionally, there is also part of the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord (meninges) and cerebrospinal fluid that passes through the opening of the skull.

Normally, a baby's brain and spinal cord develop in structures called neural tubes. When the baby's neural tube does not close completely during pregnancy there will be a part of the brain that attaches itself to the outside of the neural tube.

Encephalocele or encephalocele is a condition that usually occurs in early pregnancy.

How common is this condition?

Encephalocele or encephalocele is a rare congenital birth defect in babies. Abnormalities when babies are born are generally experienced by African-Americans or black people.

Signs & Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of an encephalocele?

Encephalocele or encephalocele is a congenital defect with symptoms that are easily visible when a newborn is born.

However, in some cases, the presence of a small encephalocele on the nose and forehead may not be detected until a proper diagnosis is made.

The various symptoms of an encephalocele that a baby experiences are as follows:

• Have nervous system disorders (neurological problems)
• Experiencing a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain (hydrocephalus)
• Experiencing limb paralysis
• Experiencing an abnormally small head circumference (microcephaly)
• Experiencing uncoordinated muscle movements (ataxia)
• Experiencing delays in development
• Experiencing visual disturbances
• Experiencing problems or difficulty breathing when the encephalocele is in the nose
• Has difficulty swallowing
• Pain around the encephalocele bump
• The baby has seizures
• Babies experience delays in mental development

Encephalocele symptoms are conditions with a wide variety of symptoms. As detailed above, the symptoms of an encephalocele can include hydrocephalus or swelling of the baby's brain due to a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid.

In addition, some babies also show signs of developmental delays, namely successfully reaching developmental milestones but over a longer period of time.

The development tends to be slower, for example when the baby is able to sit on its own, the baby is crawling, the baby stands up, and the baby walks.

In fact, the body posture of babies with this encephalocele condition may be smaller than other babies of the same age.

Babies also may tend to have low learning abilities as they age. On the other hand, the symptoms of encephalocele can also make babies experience seizures and vision problems.

However, it turns out that there are also babies with encephalocele who do not experience any other symptoms apart from a lump on the skull. If this condition occurs, parents usually choose to have the encephalocele removed.

This is due to improving the appearance of the baby and worrying that your little one will get injured in the future, for example when playing, exercising, and doing activities.

When to see a doctor?

Encephalocele is a congenital defect that can be easily observed from a newborn. If you see a baby having the symptoms above or other questions, consult a doctor immediately.

The health condition of each person is different, including babies. Always consult a doctor in order to get the best treatment regarding the health condition of your baby.

Cause

What causes an encephalocele?

During early development, the baby's brain and spinal cord develop as structures called neural tubes. The neural tube should have two ends, each opening.

These two openings will then close within the first few weeks of pregnancy. Even though the opening at the end of the neural tube closes, the neural tube continues to grow and eventually forms the brain and spinal cord.

This process also involves the neural tube or narrow closed channel to support the formation of the brain and spinal cord.

If the neural tube closure process does not work well, a problem known as a neural tube defect will arise. The exact cause of the encephalocele is not known with certainty.

However, health professionals believe that a variety of factors are involved in the cause of the encephalocele. Genetic or hereditary factors are considered to be involved in the cause of encephalocele.

This means that genetics passed from parent to child can make a baby born with an encephalocele condition.

In fact, if there are family members other than father and mother, for example grandparents, grandparents, or other siblings who have a genetic encephalocele, it can also cause the child to experience it.

According to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, an encephalocele can be a feature of various syndromes. These various syndromes include Dandy Walker syndrome, Chiari malformation, and others.

Risk Factors

What increases the risk of getting an encephalocele?

Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are several factors that can increase the risk of a baby developing an encephalocele.

The various risk factors for encephalocele are as follows:

• Babies are born prematurely
• Low birth weight (LBW)
• Have other birth defects
• Black descent
• African-American descent

The CDC recommends that mothers meet their needs for folic acid before pregnancy. Not only before pregnancy, the need for folic acid during pregnancy should not be less.

In addition, other nutritional needs that need to be met by mothers before and during pregnancy are other vitamin B complexes.

This is because adequate intake of B-complex vitamins, including folic acid, before and during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of birth defects in babies.

This can reduce the risk of birth defects in the baby's brain and spine, such as in the case of this encephalocele.

If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant and want to reduce the risk factors that you and your baby may have, consult your doctor immediately.

Diagnosis & Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are the usual tests to diagnose an encephalocele?

Encephalocele or encephalocele is a condition that doctors can easily diagnose as a newborn by looking at a bulge in the head, a cleft in the skull, or facial bones.

In some cases, encephalocele can also be diagnosed when the child is several years old. Sometimes, the encephalocele that doctors diagnose can be small, for example around the baby's nose and forehead.

In fact, the encephalocele in the nose and forehead area is so small it can go undetected. Encephalocele diagnosis can also be made while the baby is still in the womb using an ultrasound examination (USG).

Encephalocele can easily be diagnosed during pregnancy when it is large enough to be caught on an ultrasound.

After an encephalocele is found, the doctor will then confirm it by performing an MRI examination (magnetic resonance imaging) in babies.

The MRI examination will help the doctor to see more clearly the condition of the baby's skull as well as the effect of the additional sacs on the membranes and brain tissue.

The doctor will carefully examine the baby's condition because the encephalocele can also be associated with other health problems.

What are the treatment options for an encephalocele?

Encephalocele treatment is usually done with surgery or surgery. Encephalocele surgery aims to repair the part of the brain that is protruding outside the skull so that it can return to its place and then close the hole in the skull.

The operation is performed by a neurosurgeon in the first few months after the baby is born. If the skin covering the baby's encephalocele helps protect the skull, the doctor may suggest that surgery be postponed for a few more months.

Meanwhile, if there is no skin that protects the encephalocele, surgery can be done as soon as the new baby is born.

In more complex cases, the baby can undergo surgery gradually even up to several years of age to make it easier to do.

Treatment for babies with encephalocele can be tailored to suit their needs. It's just that, neurological disorders or neurological disorders due to encephalocele will usually still be there. The doctor will provide long-term treatment depending on the condition of your little one.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.