The intracranial pressure in infants

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Neonatology

Background:

• Infantile hydrocephalus is a condition characterized by elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in infants.
• Normal ICP levels in infancy are significantly lower than in later life stages.
• Postnatal changes in brain volume can influence ICP and head circumference, potentially masking or mimicking hydrocephalus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define normal intracranial pressure (ICP) ranges in infants.
• To differentiate normal ICP from pathological levels in infantile hydrocephalus.
• To explore the implications of normal ICP knowledge for managing infantile hydrocephalus.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on infant ICP.
• Analysis of ICP data in normal neonates and infants with hydrocephalus.
• Comparison of ICP values across different age groups and conditions.

Main Results:

• Normal ICP in infancy is very low, with minimal overlap with infantile hydrocephalus.
• Subatmospheric ICP is common in the first few days after birth due to brain volume decrease.
• Postnatal ICP fluctuations can complicate hydrocephalus diagnosis and may be linked to newborn intraventricular hemorrhage.

Conclusions:

• Knowledge of normal infant ICP is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management of infantile hydrocephalus.
• Expectant management may be feasible for milder cases of infantile hydrocephalus based on normal ICP parameters.
• Understanding postnatal ICP dynamics is important for preventing complications like intraventricular hemorrhage.