[Measurement of neonatal ventricular size]

Ultrasound imaging of the brain was carried out in 59 normal full-term infants in the nursery on the 3rd-7th postpartum days. The mean width of the lateral ventricles, third ventricles, brain hemispheres, and the mean distance from the most lateral extent of the lateral ventricle to the falx were 0.24 +/- 0.08cm, 0.26 +/- 0.07cm, 4.20 +/- 0.17cm, and 1.08 +/- 0.25cm, respectively. The mean area of the lateral ventricular body was 0.11 +/- 0.08cm2. There was no significant difference of ventricular size between vaginal delivery and cesarean section infants. The relation of ventricular size to occipitofrontal circumference was significant (r = 0.44, P < 0.01).