Ventriculomegaly

How can ventriculomegaly affect my child?

Ventriculomegaly

The ventricular system contains sac-like pockets that are filled with cerebrospinal fluid. When the ventricular system of the brain is enlarged, it is known as ventriculomegaly. The lateral ventricles of the brain are less than 10 mm wide in a healthy fetus. However, a fetus that suffers from ventriculomegaly has lateral ventricles measuring 10-15 mm wide. Sometimes they are even larger, in which the case is severe. Luckily, ventriculomegaly is not linked to other health conditions in most cases. Severe cases of ventriculomegaly can result in hydrocephalus, also known as water on the brain. In hydrocephalus cases, the cerebrospinal fluid builds up and puts pressure on the brain.

There are three major causes of ventriculomegaly. Improper brain development, destroyed brain tissue and insufficient absorption of cerebrospinal fluid are all factors that can make the ventricles in the brain larger. Sometimes chromosomal problems can cause ventriculomegaly.

Ventriculomegaly affects approximately 1 out of 1,000 live births and is normally nothing that the mother has done. The condition can be diagnosed before or after birth. Ventriculomegaly can be detected on ultrasound by the second trimester. An MRI can also be helpful in diagnosing the condition. A chromosomal analysis can be used to test for chromosomal problems that can cause the condition.

The only time that ventriculomegaly needs to be treated is when there is water on the brain. Even if there is no water on the brain, regular exams should be done to monitor the condition. Once the baby has been born, doctors will do exams and measure the head circumference to make sure the baby is healthy. Usually, ventriculomegaly will resolve on its own and there are no neurological or developmental problems. As long as there are no other health conditions or chromosomal abnormalities present, the long-term prognosis for a child born with mild to moderate ventriculomegaly is great.

Comments: Ventriculomegaly

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montrealmama - 58 days ago.
To anyone who can't find the Enfamil Expecta Lipil supplement in their area....I've found another capsule with the same DHA quantity. It's called Super Neurogen DHA by Genestra Brands. Hope that helps. How many pills a day did any of you take?

montrealmama - 58 days ago.
My husband told me this morning to stop procrastinating and just terminate my pregnancy. I'm 25 weeks and cannot think of terminating until after I repeat the fetal MRI in 4 more weeks. Maybe then the baby's brain will show more signs of development that I can base a decision on. Am I crazy to think I will be able to better handle terminating at such a late stage when I've gotten more concrete information? My baby's vents have been stable (around 17mm for the past 5 weeks), but my husband is convinced there is white brain matter missing and that's why the posterior vents are so enlarged. ---Liz (babygirlontheway)---I loved your quote about worrying, but I'm in such a state of deep worry that even that can't lift my spirits.

babygirlontheway - 58 days ago.
I heard the best quote today. I had to share it with you ladies... 'Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength.' I hope this lifts your spirits! --Liz

turtlemom - 58 days ago.
That is wonderful, Linny! Maybe the US and the UK will get on board sometime soon.

linnyc1981 - 59 days ago.
in Australia, (or at least the hospital that i went to) they auotmatically bank cord blood, you have up to a year to claim and organsie storage or they use it for research purposes. i think it is fantastic as it gives you a little longer to get organised

turtlemom - 59 days ago.
I talked with Irishgal not long ago and her doctors were unaware of the benefits of cord blood. I'm not sure if the English docs feel the same way. Read my profile if you want to learn more. My daughter was not supposed to develop past infancy and is pretty much normal a year later.

two-on-board - 59 days ago.
Havingfaith - you can bank blood in the UK but it seems only to be private companies that are doing it, collecting it and storing it. It would be worth talking to your consultant as they will be able to put you in touch with a company, I know that the collector's near me were nowhere near local. Good luck in your search, you never know that your local hospital might be doing it for some reason.

Havingfaith - 59 days ago.
Can u bank cord blood in the uk how do i go about it? do i just inform my consultant? and what benefit will it have on my child? im sorry for sounding so ignorant but ive never heard of this before x

almostmommaof2 - 59 days ago.
Just a little update. I am now just a little over 34 weeks and we have a scheduled c-section on October 20. My dr seems to think she will be here earlier because of me not because of her. I am now on insulin and blood pressure medicine and my body isn't getting rid of any fluid which is making me uncomfortable but she will be worth it. As for her, her vents have remained in the high 20's but have remained stable for over the last month or so and her head isn't too far ahead either. They actually used the words healthy when they described her after our last ultrasound. I am going twice a week to monitor her and me and hopefully I can keep her in there for at least the next two weeks. I pray for each and everyone of you everynight. This has been such an unexpected journey that we all have been taken on and we just have to remember that the end result will be a beautiful baby. I have to say also that I had my shower last week and was actually thinking of not having one, but now I am so thankful that I did. She deserves to be celebrated and the shower made me realize just how loved she is going to be! Everyone, try to stay positive... Love to you all! PS.. I got the cord blood kit too from Duke University... I just have a feeling that this could make all the difference!

Havingfaith - 59 days ago.
Im having a positive day today, i feel there is nothing i can do except to ride this rollercoaster for 8 weeks and see what happens when he arrives. I have a feeling we have been worrying for nothing im hoping anyway, he looks perfect, hs head doesnt look huge, he's very active, and looks perfect on the scans. Roll on november, im looking forward to xmas with my family :)

partyof5soon - 60 days ago.
Hi Ladies....hope you all are doing well. We got the amnio results back yesterday & they are all clear...so there is no known reason why Kaden's left vent in brain is enlarged but his diagnosis is still Ventriculomegaly/Colphcephaly. Doc checked left ventricle again & said it looks better & was able to get a blury measurement only due to the way baby is laying again, it measured at 1.03cm = 10.3mm which is down slightly from what his measurement was 2 weeks ago at 1.15cm = 11.5mm. Everything else still checked out good with him tho & he is growing perfect in all over ways... a little big actually weighing in at 4lbs 15oz. I did have him check again to make sure his corpus collosum is in his brain & he did confirm it is there & fully intact... Doc said due to enlarged vent being an isolated incedent because nothing else missing or abnormal in his brain or his body he said he feels Kaden should have very little side effects & was very optimistic about him but of course wont know anything for sure until after he is born & years after with him needing plenty of tests after born...We are just really happy to finally get a more positve report from one of our docs after being on this rocky roller coaster of the unknown for the last 5 weeks...at least now we feel better & breath a little easier...feel like I can start getting back on track with getting everything ready for his arrival & my baby shower next weekend. Of course this will always be in the back of our minds for years & will have to for signs of delay but we will work thru it as it comes...just had to share or more positive news with you all after my last blog when were told not so good news...he is checking the measurment of the left vent in two weeks one last time before Kaden is born to see if it has continued to decrease in size or see if gotten bigger. Being 33 weeks & so close to the end I am just so wanting him here in my arms

Havingfaith - 60 days ago.
Thankyou liz, im trying to be positive and im trying to drum it into my head that untill he is born, the dr's cant diagnose anything...he iis perfect in my eyes and thts all that matters :) i have a feeling these 8 weeks are going to drag now x

babygirlontheway - 60 days ago.
havingfaith, they told me the same thing... the one who said her femur length was less than the 10th percentile. 2 weeks later the other doctor told me her growth was on target. they've even told me her feet are clubbed (funny thing is, everyone in my family can invert our feet way beyond normal... we're all double jointed.) you have to not let yourself get too involved in what they say to you, because in the end, the only way to ultimately evaluate your baby is at birth. I know it's hard to take the negativity, but follow your heart. understand that ultrasounds tend to be inaccurate in measurements. each machine is different, and each sonographer is different. keep the hope... --Liz

Havingfaith - 60 days ago.
Because my son has short limbs and VM the dr said it could be something wrong with a gene,some dr's are positive then next are negative,driving me insane now!

turtlemom - 61 days ago.
I've been around here for about a year and a half and cannot recall a case where vents went down to normal (10mm) and then up. Lin is the matriarch of this board. She might recall, but I sure don't. PS - shunts aren't all that bad. I definitely hope your little one doesn't need one, but it is my daughter's lifeline. Hydrocephalus affects 1/500 people. There are a lot more shunts walking around than you ever imagined.

destmc - 61 days ago.
to montrealmama: my dr has told me that she is almost positve that our baby won't have to have a shunt, i am praying that is the case. friday before last the fluid was down from 14 to 10, i pray that it keeps going down to normal. they have also told me that 10mm is borderline abnormal, is this what you have heard? i go back to dr on friday and praying for more good news, thanks

destmc - 61 days ago.
thanks turtlemom, that gives me hope. has anyone out there had the fluid on the brain go down and then go back up again? i am hoping that because the fluid went down from 14 to 10 that means it will most likely stay down.

turtlemom - 61 days ago.
I think the term is Hydrocephalus ex vacuo where the vents are enlarged b/c of brain atrophy.

two-on-board - 61 days ago.
I have read about colpocephaly too. Granted, some of the symptoms that are described are compromising, but colpocephaly can also be a benign finding in conjunction with other diagnosis such as partial agenesis of the corpus callosum, agenesis of the corpus callosum and thin corpus callosum which all hold near 'normal' outcome (whatever that may be). I would reccommend that all parents that are presented with this diagnosis ask their professionals about the presentation of the corpus callosum to be sure that it isn't to do with this. In some cases, as in mine, there was an indication of colpocephaly, which is one of the markers that is used to diagnose ACC in earlier pregnancy, which has corrected itself and is now no longer present. The brain is an amazing, plastic organ which can compensate and develope to meet many compromises, stay positive. XXX

Havingfaith - 61 days ago.
Today we had or scan, kadens limbs are measuring 4/5 weeks behind...the fluid on his brain has remained stable since 4 weeks ago 14mm which is good news :) just worrying about his lil arms and legs :( xxx

montrealmama - 61 days ago.
To destmc -- What our neurosurgeon explained to us is that 2 situations could be the case. Either the spongey white matter in the back of the brain is fully developed and compressed by the enlarged ventricles AND will function normally after the vents are drained (or they may even function normally without being drained by shunt). OR there is an abnormal underdevelopment of the spongy white matter that left such a big space in the back of the brain, that the ventricles had room to enlarge. In this case, there is missing white brain matter, ie brain damage. Even with all of my ultrasounds and 23 week MRI, the radiologist couldn't tell the difference. We're hoping a repeat MRI at week 29 will give us an answer to this huge question about the white matter. To partyof5soon -- I am 25 weeks and was recently given a diagnosis of colpocephaly by the neurosurgeon eventhough my fetal MRI report only said ventriculomegaly. Please read my profile for more info as I know certain 'shaped' ventricles of colpocephaly can lead to cerebral palsy. Unfortunately, CP would only show up in the baby's 1st year and a half of life while you're waiting for normal milestones to develop. The MD's cannot diagnose it before then. I am in the exact situation as you, albeit only 25 weeks. Scary!

nordic - 61 days ago.
Hi mrskudla We were offered an ultrasound (not MRI) through the soft part on the babies head as a first examination two days after birth. They followed up with MRI at 3 months. The MRI went fine as soon as I could get him to sleep. I went into the machine with him, which made me feel better about it. It might be easier when the baby is newborn since it sleeps more soundly. MRI is what will give the best diagnosis, but I wouldn't be surprised if the baby's brain can change (for the better) even after birth since it keeps developing.

linnyc1981 - 61 days ago.
hi, we only had our bub's MRi 2 weeks ago - Max was only a couple days old and it seemed very scary. Honeslty everything went perfectly and Max was very happy, a little sleepy afterwards. The hardest part was having him fast from 8am that morning until 1pm (as MRi was delayed) but as soon as he woke up he had the biggest feed.! The results came that afternoon (which were postive) so made everything worth it

mrskudla - 62 days ago.
NEED ADVICE - b/c of the VM (which is mild & has remained stable - between 9 -11) my dr told me that my baby, once he's born, will have an MRI before we leave the hospital. Has anyone's newborn had this? What can I expect? I can't imagine putting a newborn into an MRI - it really upsets me to imagine. Thanks, Melissa

partyof5soon - 62 days ago.
Hi ladies...after reading so many of your posts I feel a kindsman too you all...we are in the same boat. At 28 weeks at a routine U/S to check my placenta previa it showed my sons left ventricle in his brain enlarged so they classified me as high risk & shipped me off to a specialist for further testing. Level 2 U/S was done & everything else with baby (body, organs, measurements) all showed to be perfect & no other abnormalities in the brain but due to the way baby was laying they couldnt get a good look at his left vent but diagnosed him with ventriculomegaly & sent me off for a fetal MRI which I wasnt too comfy with but did to find out what was wrong & sent for blood test to check for infections that I may have passed on to him to cause enlargement...at 30.3 weeks a day after MRI we got the call from my specialist telling me MRI confirmed enlarged left vent & said our son has Colpocephaly (I dont know the difference between the two because they both sound the same except for the side effects)...Our specialist then offered the option of terminating or more tests...we opted for more tests to find out more & had an amnio done at 31 weeks....we get the results back tomorrow after noon, we are nervous wrecks & are hoping for some good news...but twice now have been offered to term pregnancy & my OB seemed very suprised when we told her we opted for more tests for more info...it left us wondering if they know more than what they are telling us. Plus the paper work with my specialist still says diagnosis is Ventriculomegaly so I am utterly confused by that & will be questioning him on that tomorrow. We are currently seeking a consult with a Neuorologist/neurosurgen in our area to get more info because our specialist & OB doesnt know too much about it it seems. I will be 33 weeks tomorrow & am just so scared for my baby...all that I have learned about Colpocephaly left me not wanting my baby to suffer like it discribes but I just have a hard time picturing anything wrong with him...his 4D U/S he looks perfect, he measures right on (a little big & always has been) & his movements are all that of a normal little baby in there growing along, everything feels so right. Any one else getting back & forth info from their docs like we have? It is just so hard to stay positive thru test after test & doc appt after doc appt where they wont say much, except 'we wont know how bad until after he is born'....sorry for the long post, just scared & finally have found other moms that seem to be in that same state of unknown as we are currently in.