Microcephalus: definition, symptoms, causes, treatment, etc.

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Definition

What is microcephaly?

Microcephaly or microcephaly is a rare medical condition. Microcephalus is a neurological condition in which a baby's head is smaller than other children of the same age and sex.

Launching from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website, the size of the head circumference in babies with microcephaly is smaller than normal because the brain has not developed.

In addition to brain development that has not been going well, microcephaly or microcephaly can also be caused by stopping brain growth.

In fact, microcephaly may or may not occur simultaneously with other birth defects.

In other words, the baby may only have microcephaly, but there are also those who experience this condition along with other birth defects.

Microcephalus is a condition that can occur at birth or develop in the first few years of birth.

Source: Seeker

How common is this condition?

Microcephaly is not a common condition in newborns. This condition can be caused by various genetic and environmental factors.

However, you can reduce your risk of developing this disease by knowing the conditions your baby has. Consult with your doctor to find out more information.

Signs and symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of microcephaly?

As explained earlier, microcephaly or microcephaly is a condition that is closely related to the size of the baby's head circumference.

Therefore, according to the Mayo Clinic, the main sign or symptom that indicates the presence of microcephalus in infants is the size of the baby's head circumference which is clearly smaller than children his age.

Whereas it should be, babies of the same age and sex have their respective ranges of normal head circumference sizes.

Measurement of the baby's head circumference is carried out at the widest part of the forehead, aka above the eyebrows, the top of the ears and the most prominent part of the back of the head.

Babies with normal head circumference showed results according to their current age and sex.

Meanwhile, the size of the head circumference of an abnormal baby is far below the average based on their current gender and age.

Not only that, a baby with a severe microcephaly may have a forehead that slopes back.

Measurement of the baby's head circumference should be started since he was just born or the first day of life of your little one.

That way, the results of this head circumference measurement can be a guide to describe the health condition of your baby.

As your little one gets microcephaly, his face will continue to grow, but not the skull.

This condition can certainly cause children to experience a large face size, a shrunken forehead, and sagging and wrinkled scalp.

Meanwhile, for other body parts, babies can be underweight and tend to be smaller than they should be.

In severe enough cases, microcephaly in infants is at risk of being fatal or life threatening.

When to see a doctor?

If you see your little one has any of the above signs of microcephaly or any other questions, please consult your doctor. The health condition of each person's body is different.

Always consult a doctor in order to get the best treatment regarding your and baby's health condition.

Cause

What causes microcephaly?

Microcephalus is most often caused by genetic disorders that interfere with the growth of the cerebral cortex during the early months of fetal development.

However, besides that, there are also some causes of microcephaly that parents need to know, namely:

1. Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis is a birth defect that causes an abnormal shape of the baby's head due to abnormalities in the skull.

This disorder affects the development of the baby's head and brain so that it can be the cause of a baby's head smaller than it should be or microcephaly.

To treat this disorder, babies need a surgical process to separate the problem bones.

If no problems occur to the brain, this surgery allows the brain to have enough room to grow and develop.

2. Genetic disorders

Genetic disorders often cause various health problems, one of which is microcephaly.

Each gene consists of DNA which acts as a regulator of protein production which is closely related to the growth and development of babies.

According to Stanford Children's Health, inherited abnormal genes from parents can cause babies to develop microcephaly.

Microcephalus is a condition that can be caused by an abnormality of an autosomal recessive gene. Autosomal means that both sexes can affect both male and female babies.

While recessive means that there are two copies of the gene, each of which comes from both parents. Some genetic disorders that cause microcephalus have something to do with gene X.

This means that the wrong gene arrangement is on the X chromosome. Look, girls can have the wrong gene on one of the X chromosomes, but not have any signs or symptoms of any particular disease.

However, this means that the girl is a carrier of certain conditions. In contrast to boys who only have one X chromosome.

If the boy's X chromosome carries the wrong gene, it will cause him to develop signs or symptoms for certain conditions, including microcephaly.

The existence of a problem or gene abnormality that occurs in a baby can interfere with the growth and development of his body. One of the gene disorders that can cause microcephaly is Down syndrome.

3. Nutritional deficiencies

Pregnant women need a lot of nutrients to support the growth and development of the fetus in their womb.

Important nutrients during pregnancy, obtained from food and drinks, such as vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, nuts, and seeds.

If the nutritional needs of pregnant women are not fulfilled properly, the baby's development can be disrupted. This can be the cause of a small baby's head or microcephaly.

4. Use of certain substances and exposure to chemicals

In addition to nutritional needs that must be considered, you must often hear that pregnant women are prohibited from doing activities or using certain substances.

This includes jobs that expose pregnant women to chemicals, smoking and drinking alcohol, or using certain drugs.

All foreign substances that enter the mother's body, can flow with the blood and enter the baby's body.

These unnecessary substances can interfere with the child's brain development process, which can cause microcephaly.

5. Infection

Infection in the body of pregnant women can cause problems with the development of the baby. The reason is, the infection can flow with the blood and enter the baby's body.

In addition, infection can also interfere with the work of the mother's organs that are supposed to perfect the fetus.

Some infections that can cause microcephaly in babies include:

• Chickenpox is a varicella virus infection that causes the body to have a fever accompanied by bouncy water.
• The Zika virus is a virus spread by mosquitoes Aedes aegypti which causes Zika's fever.
• Toxoplasmosis is an infection that causes body fever, seizures, and an enlarged spleen.
• Rubella infection which causes a red rash all over the skin.
• Cytomegalovirus infection that causes fever, swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches.

6. Celebral anoxia

Pregnancy complications can also cause microcephaly, one of which is celebral anoxia. This condition occurs because the delivery of oxygen to the fetal brain is blocked.

This insufficient oxygen intake can lead to impaired development of the baby's brain and head.

7. Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria is a birth defect that causes an amino acid called phenylalanine to build up in the body.

This occurs because of a genetic defect inherited by parents to break down phenylalanine.

Pregnant women who have this condition are very at risk, one of which can cause microcephaly or miscarriage.

It is important to know the causes of microcephaly in babies

There are many possible causes of microcephaly. This is very important to find out because it will help doctors and families to predict what symptoms your little one will experience.

Take, for example, microcephaly caused by developmental delays at risk of causing seizure symptoms.

While certain causes of microcephaly can also damage motor function so that later it can affect your little one's ability to regulate and control his movements.

Furthermore, if microcephaly is caused by infection, it will usually cause vision and hearing problems. Consult your doctor to find out more about microcephaly in babies.

Complications

What are the complications or long-term effects of this condition?

In fact, whether or not there are long-term effects of microcephaly depends on what caused it in the first place.

If the baby is disturbed but in a mild degree, there may not be other problems. Your little one can still grow normally with age-appropriate growth.

Another case with babies who have microcephaly. Babies with this condition can experience problems with the development and learning process.

In fact, your little one can also experience other medical problems such as epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

On the other hand, the condition of the small head circumference can actually have an impact on the development and quality of life of the baby.

Here are some symptoms that arise due to the impact of microcephaly on babies:

• Developmental delays such as difficulty learning to speak, standing, sitting, and walking
• Difficulty learning
• Experiencing problems with balance, movement and coordination of limbs
• Having problems with eating such as difficulty swallowing
• Have hearing loss
• Have hearing problems
• Hyperactive
• Short stature

Medicine and Medicine

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

What are the usual tests to diagnose microcephaly?

There are two ways that doctors can do to diagnose microcephalus, namely before birth and after the baby is born.

Microcephaly examination before birth can be done during pregnancy. Doctors usually use ultrasound or ultrasound to examine and see the condition of the baby in the womb.

Ultrasound can also show if the baby has a head size that is smaller or below normal.

Ultrasound examination to detect microcephaly in infants can usually be done since the end of the second trimester and when entering the third trimester of pregnancy.

Meanwhile, when the baby is born, microcephaly diagnosis can be done in the following ways:

• Physical examination of the baby, including measuring the circumference of his head.
• Check the family history and determine the size of the parents' head.
• Perform a head examination to determine the growth of the baby's head over time.

Newborn babies will have their head measured to be used as an assessment on the growth chart.

Checking the size of the head circumference can be carried out every few months according to the development of the baby.

The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDAI) recommends measuring the baby's head circumference regularly every month until the baby turns two years old.

The purpose of this examination is to determine whether the growth of the baby's head circumference is normal according to his age and sex or if it is at risk of microcephaly.

If it turns out that the measurement of the baby's head circumference is below the average, it means that he has microcephaly.

After the doctor has diagnosed the presence of microcephaly in the baby, the severity of this condition can be further examined using computed tomography (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging or MRI.

In addition, the doctor may also perform blood tests to find out the cause behind the delayed development of the baby's head circumference.

These tests may also provide information about the possibility of an infection in the uterus that is at risk of causing structural changes in the brain.

What are the treatment options for microcephaly?

So far there is no treatment that can be done to improve the condition of microcephaly. However, the exception is for microcephaly caused by craniosynostosis.

This condition can still be corrected by performing surgery or surgery to help reshape the skull, but not with other conditions.

Usually, to maintain the health of your little one's body, treatment focuses more on treating and eliminating the problems that arise from microcephaly.

If there are other conditions that are the effects of microcephaly, for example malnutrition, the doctor will also look for ways to treat the problem.

Babies with mild microcephaly generally only need regular check-ups. Meanwhile, more severe conditions usually require special handling to support your child's physical abilities and intelligence.

Treatment can include speech, physical, and occupational therapy. In fact, for certain conditions such as babies who often experience seizures and hyperactivity, usually drugs are needed to improve nerve and muscle function.

Prevention

Is there any way to prevent microcephaly?

Prevention of microcephaly or microcephaly can be attempted since pregnancy in the following ways:

• Eat a healthy diet and take vitamins while pregnant.
• Avoid drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs.
• Avoid using chemicals that are not good for the fetus.
• Be diligent in maintaining personal hygiene, including washing hands.
• Immediately consult a doctor when experiencing any health problems.

If you already have a child with microcephaly and want to get pregnant again, it's best to talk to your doctor first.

Your doctor can provide an explanation to help you understand your family's risk for this disease.