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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
State of the Art Cranial Ultrasound Imaging in Neonates
Published on: February 2, 2015
Musculoskeletal sonography in the neonate and infant
1Department of Medical Imaging, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA. mskeller@nemours.org
Insights
Sonography offers a fast, low-cost, and safe imaging solution for infants and neonates. This ultrasound (US) technique is ideal for pediatric musculoskeletal imaging, avoiding sedation and clinical risks.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric imaging
- Medical ultrasonography
- Musculoskeletal imaging
Background:
- Infants and neonates present unique imaging challenges.
- Conventional modalities like MRI and CT may be costly and require sedation.
- Sonography is often underutilized in pediatric musculoskeletal evaluations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the advantages of sonography in pediatric musculoskeletal imaging.
- To emphasize sonography's utility in neonates and infants.
- To promote sonography as a primary imaging modality for this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing high-frequency transducers for detailed imaging.
- Focusing on anatomical structures unique to infants, such as cartilage.
- Employing sonography as a non-invasive, sedation-free examination.
Main Results:
- Sonography provides quick and cost-effective solutions for pediatric musculoskeletal questions.
- It allows examination of cartilaginous structures in neonates and infants.
- The procedure can be performed without sedation, reducing risk and improving patient comfort.
Conclusions:
- Sonography is a valuable tool for pediatric musculoskeletal imaging in infants and neonates.
- It offers a safe, efficient, and accessible alternative to other imaging modalities.
- The non-threatening environment enhances the experience for both baby and parents.
Abstract:
Babies are ideal subjects for investigation by sonography. They are small and easily examined with the use of high-frequency transducers. Their unique status in US imaging tends to get lost amid the array of other available modalities, such as MRI and CT imaging. Some of the questions posed in pediatric musculoskeletal imaging that are routinely directed to other imaging modalities can be solved quickly at a lower cost by sonography in neonates and infants without sedation or any known clinical risk. These small children not only have thinner soft tissues but they have long bones and midline spine structures whose ends are largely composed of cartilage, which provides an early opportunity to examine these regions by US. And we cannot overestimate the value of new parents being able to stay next to their baby during imaging in a warm, friendly and non-threatening environment.
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