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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partyof5soon - 2 days ago.
Hey everyone...well little Kaden didn want to wait till his enduction day today. He decided he wanted to arrive on his own terms so Monday night my water broke while turning over in bed & just 6 1/2 hrs later tuesday morning at 7:01am he was born weighing in at 7lbs 10 oz & 20 in long. His apgar score was 9.9 which is awesome & he passed the hearing test. They did a CAT scan on him before we could bring him home & last night our neurologist came into my hospital room with the best news...he said Kadens brain & vent look perfectly normal, he is a healthy baby! He said Kaden does NOT have Colpocephaly nor does he even have VM...said if vent was infact enlarged the last 10 weeks of pregnancy it isnt now nor is there any brain volume loss like we were told at 30 weeks he had. The doc thinks they combined the left vent with the one next to it to measure his left vent unknowingly. Said his left vent did measure slightly larger than his right but nothing out of the normal range & called it something that I cant remember & used the example of everyone if measured would have a leg slightly longer than the other or an arm slightly longer than the other & he said he would bet that if he did a scan on myself or my honey that it would show one of us with the same thing...said he wanted to see Kaden again in 6-8 months for protocol but as far as his tests & his brain show we have a perfectly healthy little baby boy. I just cried & cried when he told us this cos the stress of the last 10 weeks have been unbearable & we were so worried...I just stare at him these last few days in wonder & think that we were recommended 3 times by 2 different docs to terminate him due to his diagnosis being so poor...we came so close to teminating & the only reason we didnt was because the amnio test came back clear...I am so grateful we didnt listen to the docs & didnt terminate him...it would have been the biggest mistake of our lives & I feel so unbelievably blessed to have him here with us finally even tho I am not getting much sleep these last couple of days..he truely is our little miracle baby....I just wanted to share with you all our story & our great news. thank you all for being there for us these last few weeks of stress & I hope our story gives other some hope as well...technology these days are a double edge storm & as far as we are advanced in technology the docs arent always right...they are only human & can make mistakes as they did in our case.

Veetim - 3 days ago.
Hello everyone,i hope you are keeping up your faith and strength.Me am not bad,now am 26 wks+1 day.I am still managing as some days i get so emotional and some days am full of energy. Liz am so sorry for the sad news,but my dear keep your faith up and be strong for your gal,as i believe soon she will get better,think in positive way as sometimes the prognosis can be very destroying as you will be hearing so many scary stuff which will rip your heart but some where around the corner miracle will take its way and she will recover.will put u in my prayers. Mtldad, what a great news!!!! am very happy for you guys and your little gal,i do understand that its hard to believe that DHA can do wonders coz this people do not want to carry out a proper research on it. For me am still taking them as i believe its magic,now i have two weeks to go for my next appointment,and at the moment am getting emotional as the days get closer.I wish everyone all the best and please we need to keep on doing research.Wish u luck!!!!

montrealmama - 3 days ago.
Liz (babygirlonthway): I'm so sorry to hear the update on Gabriela. I hope you are finding strength and support. I was hoping you would have time to answer some questions for me? Was this polymicrogyria identified before she was born? Did you ever have the MRI? Are her feet really clubbed or her hands still clenched? Also, was she an active baby in utero...did you feel her moving alot? Because if she was a quiet baby, then maybe that explains the hypotonia?!? Do the doctors know if this is a chromosomal defect, because I know you were discouraged from having an amnio? Could the liver dysfunction and metabolic disorder have been diagnosed before she was born? I'm sorry to bombard you with all these questions, but I'm waiting for MRI results and am frantic with worry. I'm 31 weeks and looking for answers from moms like you. Thank you.

mtldad - 3 days ago.
Hi All - My wife just had the 34 week U/S and some improvement on the vent size. And I have to thank the several people who posted information about DHA and omega-3. At 30 weeks, the girl (we're having twins) vents measured 10mm. At 32 weeks they went up to 12.5mm. My wife started taking omega-3 (3x 1000mg/day) with high DHA percentage right after that 32-week U/S. Two weeks later on the 34-week U/S (today) the vents measured 10.2mm (range of measures from 9.1mm to 10.4mm). We're still hoping it will go down further and I cannot say for sure it's because of the DHA supplements. However I have to believe based on all of the research that I found (thanks AGAIN to people on this forum) that the omega-3/DHA deserves at least part of the credit for the improvement. Now let's hope the twins stay in there as long as possible and absorb more of the DHA for the next few weeks and that we will see further improvements. Thanks again and best wishes to all. Babygirlontheway - Best of luck with the ongoing tests and progress!

babygirlontheway - 5 days ago.
hi all! our little family is now living in Texas Children's Hospital NICU. we've been encountering many ups and downs. Gabriela was born very hypotonic (which we've seen some improvement)... unfortunately she also is on phenobarbital, because she's had some seizures. she still had ventriculomegaly, with Colpocephaly presentation... her CC is there, but thin. and possibile polymicrogyria (different radiologists say different things). her liver enzymes have come back elevated, so she has liver dysfunction. had an ultrasound done this morning, waiting on results. no answers for us still, but the more I look up stuff on liver dysfunction and metabolic disorders that might have caused this, the more scared I get. the prognosis for these disorders are horrible. hope all is well with you all... --liz

kevinkevin - 7 days ago.
Hi all, my baby was born on 20 Oct. His vent measured over 10mm at his 38 wks but a further U/S Scan on the third day after his birth has indicated that his vents are normal and not dilated. He is lovely and everything are normal and my wife and I are very glad about that. Keep praying and believe in God and your baby. Support you all.

partyof5soon - 7 days ago.
Well we are set to enduce on this coming Thursday Nov 5th...I am excited to finally have Kaden here with us & see if he is indeed ok but I am also getting more & more nervous for him to be here & what all that may entail if he isnt ok...even tho at our last U/S at 35 weeks showed his Vent stable at 10.3MM I still worry about any damage that may have happened while they were larger plus our little guy also has the diagnosis of Colpocephaly...I have 2 kids already & I do believe myself to be a good mom, I am just hoping I will be a good mom to Kaden as well if he does have any mental disabilities...I dont mean to sound harsh by any means, its just a worry of mine of being patient enough for him thru the years...Guess it is my insecurities of the unknown creeping up on me the closer it gets to him being here...praying he is going to be ok & healthy

Veetim - 9 days ago.
Hello mums and daddies,i hope everyone is fine.Mmmhhh!!! there are some good news from other parents recently,i have been checking the updates everyday whenever i have time and it is promising and cheering me also give me strength on this journey.Anyway am doing well,but recently i noticed my ankles are bit swollen and when i checked for info. i found out that it is something common in pregnancy unless am getting pain. I read a comment one lady left about swollen ankles that u can eat banana,so today i had a banana and it wasn't bad.Thank you so much Professormom for your story as i have been following your story and got some tips about DHA suppliments,and now i cant wait to read your update about your baby's scanning.TerryJ75 its fantastic news you have and i ithink this site is the best place ever for all of us with what we are going through.I wish you luck,i can't wait for my 28wks scanning on the 19th Nov,i will keep in touch!!!! tchao

TerryJ75 - 11 days ago.
Great news after months of worry our little girls vents have gone back to normal. They were 12.5 from june till now and now they are lv 7-8 and right 8-9 which is normal. We are happy and just wanted to let others know that this is possible and things can go back to normal. We are at 37 weeks tom so we are close to delivery and our dr's can give us no explanation for her vents being enlarged from 17 weeks till 36 weeks and then just going back to normal. SO for others on this board keep your head up and hold on to your hopes and dreams and just know these babies are special no matter what the outcome is whether they are completely normal or with some special needs they ares till loved wanted and needed in this world to amke people better people just becuase they have the privledge to have a special child like ours in their lives. Hugs and Best Wishes To All!!!!

Hayley Jaffrey - 11 days ago.
Guys, I wanted to share my story. My daughter is now 3 years old and was diagnosed with mild ventriculomegaly during my prenatal 20wk ultrasound. At the time, we were like rabbits in headlights. There was hardly any information available to us and none of the healthcare professionals could offer any definitive information or advice. We were offered a termination of pregnancy but flatly refused. When she was born, her Apgar score was slightly low but considered to be within normal ranges. A post natal ultrasound showed no evidence of the ventriculomegaly, but it was a very junior doc who did it. I knew something wasn't right with her - she was floppy, had no head control, choked on her feeds regularly and vomited easily. At 6 months I convinced our GP to refer us to a neurologist. Maia was diagnosed with hypotonia (low muscle tone) with developmental delays. Fast forward 2 years and she has progressed brilliantly. She was always late with her physical milestones, but with physio and speech & language therapy has developed into a bright, smart and happy kid. We were referred to a Geneticist, who confirmed that Maia does have a genetic condition, but doesn't know which one - it could be Maia Jaffrey Syndrome, because there is no other child on their database that displays the same genetic markers. Her markers are very similar to Downs Syndrome, but she doesn't have the typical facial features and her genetics results rule that out. I just wanted to tell you that although Maia is unique, she is wonderful and no-one can tell that she has any issues. I always knew that the Termination was not an option and have been blessed that she has developed into a sprightly, funny and very feisty little girl. I wish you all strength and courage as you go through your journeys, but please have faith and remember to keep your humour - its a life saver. There is a brilliant Yahoo healthgroup called Hypotonia Hope if any of your precious angels are born with low muscle tone - that forum was a life saver for me. Love always, Hayley Aberdeen Scotland. Mum to Harris & Maia xx

mtldad - 12 days ago.
Bento - happy to hear your good news! You must be very relieved. It gives hope and I wish the same outcome for everyone here. Professormom & Veetim - Thanks for the additional info on DHA and Omega-3. I just read some of the articles and certainly reinforces that it's a good idea. By the way, I asked the Dr about cod liver oil and DHA at the 32 week U/S. She mentioned that this was the same as Omega-3 and she specified to get 'pharmaceutical grade Omega-3' rather than cod liver oil because it removes any mercury found in fish oils. Can anyone confirm if 'DHA' and 'Omega-3' are the same thing? Or is there a difference?

bento - 13 days ago.
Hello everyone, I was informed that right ventricle of our baby was 10.9 at wk 31 (wk 20 was OK). At wk 32, we did check at other hospital and the right ventricle showed 11.1. At wk 33, it was 10.9. It was very stressful weeks and I am searching as much info as I can get and I believe this website is very helpful. Now, it is my turn to contribute something. Our son was born 1.5 weeks ago and right after born, our dr check the head carefully and she informed us that the head dia is a little bit bigger and the gap in the head is bigger than usual. She informed us to do ultrasound in 1 week but inform us that we have nothing to worry as she think everything is consider 'normal' (she just want to be careful due to finding in the wk 31). 3days ago, we did US and the specialist confirmed to us that everything was perfectly normal. The right ventricle seems still a little bit too big (I am confuse with the number as seems like the way of measurement is different between fetus and baby)but she confirmed to us that she can guarantee that 99.9% the baby will be fine (in relation to the right ventricle). I am not good writer but I hope my message here can be useful for you.

professormom - 13 days ago.
Hello Everyone, Well, my baby girl will be 4 weeks tomorrow. The post-delivery U/S to check her ventricles will take place on Nov. 2nd, however, she has been developing normally. She does get the hiccups quite a bit (even when I was pregnant). Prior to her birth her ventricles decreased from 18 and 19mm at 29 weeks down to 12mm at 38 weeks. I declined inducement because her head was a normal size and wanted to deliver her vaginally and naturally. I want to encourage everyone to look into the DHA supplements. I posted a link to an article that researchers have discovered a specific connection between high doses of DHA and the improvement of brain function in baby girls, when taken both prenatal and postnatal. Hopefully, more research will be done, but since it cannot hurt to take it... why not? I took mega doses of DHA and perhaps it was coincidence, but my daughters vents did go down. We'll see where they are on Nov. 2nd - she's still perfect to me no matter what... congrats to the other new moms... much perseverence, faith and thanks for sharing your stories and journey's.

Veetim - 15 days ago.
Hello everyone, i hope you are ok.Mtldad i am happy that you are relieved for gettingthe right info. atleast it can clear some air now.There is one mother who left this website please have look,it talk about the research which was done in australia about the intake of high level DHA suppliment which is found on the cod liver oil.the website is www.news-medical.net/news/2009/01/18/4529/aspx,pls find the info there i believe you will get hope.I wish you luck mum to Gabriela just stay strong and i will remember her in my prayers.Take care everyone and goodluck.

jess2008 - 16 days ago.
Just to let everyone know......Baby Gage has taken a different not so good turn this week. It's a lengthy report so I will refer to his Caring Bridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/gagethomasdreesen His vents are very large due to an undiagnosed brain malformation during the early part of his existence. There are so many reasons, causes and, outcomes for vm babies. I love this board and all of the ladies here even though it is so hard sometimes to understand why Gage was affected so badly. He does have in home nursing care but, who would have ever thought this would be the case??? Why???? I wish we all had the answers.

cjengo - 16 days ago.
Babygirl ~ I just left you a message. Strokes in utero present many times with just mild VM. Email me and I will help you in anyway possible!!!

babygirlontheway - 16 days ago.
hi to all! baby Gabriela was born october 19th... 6 lbs 6 oz, 19 inches at 38 weeks by c-section. She looks just like her daddy! as soon as she was born, they ventilated her, as protocol. the next day, when taking her off vent (pulling it out) to put her on oxygen via nasal canula, she had a seizure. she's been on phenobarbital since then. her corpus callosum is present, but they believe something must have happened early in pregnancy like a brain bleed to cause the fluid in her brain... she's been pretty hypotonic (low muscle tone), which worries everyone (and makes me feel hopeless at times). they are not hearing her cry as loud as she should, among other things. doctors down where I live didn't feel comfortable helping us because they don't have experts in neuro. so they transferred us to Houston... Texas Children's Hospital, which is known internationally for their amazing work! daddy flew with baby, and I drove 6 hrs with my family. they will be working Gabriela up here, and it looks like we'll be here awhile. doctor who evaluated her last night said her neuromuscular system is definitely affected, and it became real to me that something is definitely wrong. i'm so scared... it's so hard to see my beauty have to go through this. I hope we get encouraging words soon, because I feel like I want to fall apart.

mtldad - 17 days ago.
Congratulations Almostmommaof2! ...or can we now say 'finallymommaof2?!!! Beautiful little girl! And thanks for the wishes Veetim. We had the 32 week ultrasound yesterday and feeling a bit better. The downside is that the LV measurement has increased to 12mm (from 10mm 2 weeks ago). However, we are a bit relieved because it turns out that the technician mixed up some of the data in the previous report! Previously, they showed the boy (baby A) to be the one with the large ventricle. The data also showed him being smaller than his sister and a smaller head, etc. So all of that info combined made us panic a bit that he was not developing properly. However, yesterday they realized that it is in fact the girl (baby B) that has the larger ventricles. That doesn't fix the problem of course, but it was somewhat reassuring because all of her other measurements are right-on perfect, so it makes me a bit more confident (or hopeful) that the ventricle size is just an anomaly. It was scarier when it seemed one baby had a combination of larger ventricles, smaller head and smaller body. Anyways, it's still in the hands of mother nature and we won't know for sure for a while. In the meantime, my wife has started taking omgega-3 supplements to strengthen brain development. I'm kind of surprised the dietician didn't advise this earlier and it was only thanks to THIS FORUM where I saw people referring to cod liver oil and DHA (?). When I asked the doc yesterday about these, she recommended taking omega-3. Not sure it will help but I have always heard people recommending omega-3 for brain development and it sure can't hurt! Thanks again to all.....and best of thoughts to all!

Veetim - 18 days ago.
Hello, i hope all of you are ok.Thank you so much partof5soon.Congratulation to almostmommaof2,that is really a good news and the little angel looks so cute that you cant stop staring at her and think the technology we have now a days can drive you mad when they tal about ventricles measurements and so fourth but look at your angel now she bit the odds.I wish mtldad all the best on their scanning, i guess its the crazy moment and i really feel for you,but stay positive and hope for the best and remember to top up with prayers.I wish everyone well on this journey.

mtldad - 18 days ago.
Hi everyone.....my wife and I are going for the 32-week ultrasound later today. It was 2 weeks ago that they found one of the twins was measuring on the borderline at 10mm. I was traveling for work at the time so I wasn't there with my wife to get the news first-hand, which makes it even tougher to deal with. Now I have a million questions for the doctor, which HOPEFULLY I won't even need to ask! Hopefully it's just on the high side of normal and is stable or decreasing. My thoughts are with all of you moms and moms-to-be.

up north - 18 days ago.
hi my son was born on 6th. He seems totally healthy although no medical authority will confirm this. Yesterday he had a scan and the vents measure the same as they did when i was 34 weeks preg and have not grown since. The docs want to see him in 6 weeks. Wil try to let u know more soon xx

partyof5soon - 19 days ago.
almostmommaof2 - that is wonderful news...congratulations! She looks too cute & precious. Hope she keeps on amazing tho docs, Best of luck on your new journey!

almostmommaof2 - 19 days ago.
Well, I have started my new journey. My precious little angel is here. She is so much more than I EVER allowed myself believe she would be. She is beautiful. You can see her pic on my profile. She has had every test done and all have been coming back neg and with no answers as to what is going on with her ventricles. She was born with the ventricles measuring a stable 27 mm and an MRI showed that something must have happened early on and what ever damage was done the ventricles just grew in to fill in that space. However, the rest of the brain (parts) are all there and appear normal. She is really making them wonder how she can be so 'normal' and have this going on inside her. She does have an issue with her liver and spleen both are slightly enlarged and she is jaundice they don't know if it is related or if it just has to do with her system not being fully awake right now where she was a little early. She is still in the NICU but as soon as her jaundice is under control and she continues doing well with her feedings she will be able to come home. I really feel she came straight from heaven to me and whatever hurdles she has to overcome I will be right there with her. She is perfect! Stay positive everyone.. Babies are truly miracles.

partyof5soon - 20 days ago.
That is great news veetim, glad to hear your LO's vents went back down into the normal range...hope everything continues to show normal at your 28th week check too! Babygirl - good luck & we will be thinking of you & your LO today on her birthday!

two-on-board - 20 days ago.
Much love and congratulations to you and your baby Liz, Best Wishes from the UK, XXX