The central nervous system can disable the entire body. Higher department The central nervous system is the subcortical formations and the cortex cerebral hemispheres brain. This department regulates the relationships of the entire organism as a whole. When injuries to the central nervous system occur, this regulation can easily be disrupted.

The middle and lower parts of the central nervous system are the medulla oblongata/intermediate/spinal cord and the cerebellum. These departments regulate the systems of a highly developed organism and the activities of individual organs, interacting and ensuring the integrity of the human body.

Of course, the most important among traumatic injuries of the central nervous system are those that sometimes have very severe and unfavorable consequences. Brain injuries are divided into closed and open.

Brain injuries that can damage the central nervous system

They can easily provoke complex injuries to the human central nervous system. Closed brain injuries are divided into:

• bruises;
• concussions;
• brain compression.

In most cases, the causes of brain compression are intracranial hematomas. However, such an injury can also occur with depressed skull fractures. These injuries can greatly affect the functioning of the central nervous system.

The most severe are considered open injuries brain (cranial). Often, open brain injuries are accompanied by loss of consciousness, since the brain contains the circulatory and respiratory centers, so with an injury, breathing usually stops and, accordingly, cardiac activity stops. But respiratory arrest and disruptions in the functioning of the heart can also occur reflexively, without life-threatening injuries. important elements brain.

Brain damage can cause very serious injuries central nervous system. Encephalitis and meningitis can also develop with such injuries.

Spinal cord injuries

Typically, injuries spinal cord occur with spinal injuries. Symptoms of this injury the most important body The central nervous system is quite diverse and depends on the complexity and degree of damage. Damage to the spinal cord can easily injure the entire central nervous system and lead to the most unfavorable consequences such as paralysis of the limbs. Treatment of such injuries can be either conservative or surgical.

Injuries to the central nervous system are always very serious, and they must be treated carefully and for a long time, while observing absolutely all the doctor’s prescriptions.

The central nervous system is precisely the mechanism that helps a person grow and navigate in this world. But sometimes this mechanism malfunctions and “breaks.” It is especially scary if this happens in the first minutes and days of a child’s independent life or even before he is born. We will talk about why a child’s central nervous system is affected and how to help the baby in this article.

What it is

The central nervous system is a close “ligament” of two important links - the brain and spinal cord. Main function, which nature assigned to the central nervous system - providing reflexes, both simple (swallowing, sucking, breathing) and complex. The central nervous system, or more precisely, its middle and lower sections, regulate the activities of all organs and systems, ensure communication between them. The highest section is the cerebral cortex. It is responsible for self-awareness and self-awareness, for a person’s connection with the world, with the reality surrounding the child.

Disorders, and consequently, damage to the central nervous system, can begin during the development of the fetus in the mother’s womb, or can occur under the influence of certain factors immediately or some time after birth.

Which part of the central nervous system is affected will determine which body functions will be impaired, and the degree of damage will determine the extent of the consequences.

Causes

In children with central nervous system disorders, about half of all cases occur due to intrauterine lesions, doctors call this perinatal pathologies CNS. Moreover, more than 70% of them are premature babies, which appeared earlier than the due obstetric period. In this case, the main root cause lies in the immaturity of all organs and systems, including the nervous system; it is not ready for autonomous work.

Approximately 9-10% of toddlers born with lesions of the central nervous system were born on time with normal weight. Experts believe that the state of the nervous system in this case is influenced by negative intrauterine factors, such as prolonged hypoxia, which the baby experienced in the mother’s womb during gestation, birth injuries, as well as a state of acute oxygen starvation during a difficult delivery, metabolic disorders of the child, which Infectious diseases suffered by the expectant mother and complications of pregnancy began even before birth. All lesions that resulted from the above factors during pregnancy or immediately after childbirth are also called residual organic:

• Fetal hypoxia. Most often, babies whose mothers abuse alcohol, drugs, smoke or work in hazardous industries suffer from a lack of oxygen in the blood during pregnancy. The number of abortions that preceded these births also has great importance, since the changes that occur in the tissues of the uterus after termination of pregnancy contribute to disruption of uterine blood flow during subsequent pregnancies.

• Traumatic causes. Birth injuries can be associated with both incorrectly chosen delivery tactics and medical errors during birth process. Injuries also include actions that lead to disruption of the child’s central nervous system after childbirth, in the first hours after birth.
• Fetal metabolic disorders. Such processes usually begin in the first - early second trimester. They are directly related to disruption of the functioning of the organs and systems of the baby’s body under the influence of poisons, toxins, and certain medications.
• Infections in the mother. Particularly dangerous are diseases caused by viruses (measles, rubella, chickenpox, cytomegalovirus infection and a number of other ailments) if the disease occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy.

• Pathologies of pregnancy. The state of the child’s central nervous system is influenced by a variety of features of the gestation period - polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios, pregnancy with twins or triplets, placental abruption and other reasons.
• Severe genetic diseases. Typically, pathologies such as Down and Edwards syndromes, trisomy and a number of others are accompanied by significant organic changes in the central nervous system.

At the current level of development of medicine, CNS pathologies become obvious to neonatologists already in the first hours after the baby is born. Less often - in the first weeks.

Sometimes, especially with organic lesions of mixed origin, the real reason it is impossible to establish, especially if it is related to the perinatal period.

Classification and symptoms

Scroll possible symptoms depends on the causes, degree and extent of damage to the brain or spinal cord, or combined damage. The outcome is also influenced by the time of negative impact - how long the child was exposed to factors that affected the activity and functionality of the central nervous system. It is important to quickly determine the period of the disease - acute, early recovery, late recovery or the period of residual effects.

All pathologies of the central nervous system have three degrees of severity:

• Easy. This degree is manifested by a slight increase or decrease in the baby’s muscle tone, and convergent strabismus may be observed.

• Average. With such lesions, muscle tone is always reduced, reflexes are completely or partially absent. This condition is replaced by hypertonicity and convulsions. Characteristic eyes appear movement disorders.
• Heavy. Not only motor function and muscle tone suffer, but also internal organs. If the central nervous system is severely depressed, convulsions of varying intensity may begin. Problems with cardiac and renal activity can be severe, as well as the development respiratory failure. The intestines may be paralyzed. The adrenal glands do not produce necessary hormones in the right quantity.

According to the etiology of the cause that caused problems with the activity of the brain or spinal cord, pathologies are divided (however, very arbitrarily) into:

• Hypoxic (ischemic, intracranial hemorrhages, combined).
• Traumatic (birth injuries of the skull, birth spinal lesions, birth pathologies of peripheral nerves).
• Dysmetabolic (kernicterus, excess levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium in the child’s blood and tissues).
• Infectious (consequences of infections suffered by the mother, hydrocephalus, intracranial hypertension).

Clinical manifestations different types lesions also differ significantly from each other:

• Ischemic lesions. The most “harmless” disease is cerebral ischemia 1st degree. With it, the child demonstrates central nervous system disorders only in the first 7 days after birth. The reason most often lies in fetal hypoxia. At this time, the baby can observe relatively mild signs of excitement or depression of the central nervous system.
• The second degree of this disease is diagnosed when if disturbances and even seizures last more than a week after birth. We can talk about the third degree if the child has constantly increased intracranial pressure, frequent and severe convulsions are observed, and there are other autonomic disorders.

Typically, this degree of cerebral ischemia tends to progress, the child’s condition worsens, and the baby may fall into a coma.

• Hypoxic cerebral hemorrhages. If, as a result of oxygen starvation, a child has hemorrhage inside the ventricles of the brain, then in the first degree there may be no symptoms and signs at all. But the second and third degrees of such hemorrhage lead to severe lesions brain - convulsive syndrome, development of shock. The child may fall into a coma. If blood enters the subarachnoid cavity, the child will be diagnosed with overexcitation of the central nervous system. There is a high probability of developing acute dropsy of the brain.

Bleeding into the underlying substance of the brain is not always noticeable at all. Much depends on which part of the brain is affected.

• Traumatic lesions, birth injuries. If during the birth process doctors had to use forceps on the baby’s head and something went wrong, if acute hypoxia occurred, then most often this is followed by a cerebral hemorrhage. During birth trauma, the child experiences convulsions to a more or less pronounced degree, the pupil on one side (the one where the hemorrhage occurred) increases in size. Main sign traumatic damage to the central nervous system - increased pressure inside the child’s skull. Acute hydrocephalus may develop. The neurologist testifies that in this case the central nervous system is more often excited than depressed. Not only the brain, but also the spinal cord can be injured. This most often manifests itself as sprains, tears, and hemorrhage. In children, breathing is impaired, hypotension of all muscles, and spinal shock are observed.
• Dysmetabolic lesions. With such pathologies, in the vast majority of cases, the child has increased blood pressure, seizures, consciousness is quite clearly depressed. The cause can be determined by blood tests that show either a critical deficiency of calcium, or a lack of sodium, or another imbalance of other substances.

Periods

The prognosis and course of the disease depends on what period the baby is in. There are three main periods of development of pathology:

• Spicy. The violations have just begun and have not yet had time to cause serious consequences. This is usually the first month of a child’s independent life, the newborn period. At this time, a baby with lesions of the central nervous system usually sleeps poorly and restlessly, often without visible reasons cries, he is excitable, he can flinch without stimulus, even in his sleep. Muscle tone is increased or decreased. If the degree of damage is higher than the first, then reflexes may weaken, in particular, the baby will begin to suck and swallow worse and weaker. During this period, the baby may begin to develop hydrocephalus, which will be manifested by noticeable head growth and strange eye movements.

• Restorative. It can be early or late. If the baby is aged 2-4 months, then they talk about early recovery, if he is already from 5 to 12 months, then about late recovery. Sometimes parents notice disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system in their baby for the first time in early period. At 2 months, such toddlers hardly express any emotions and are not interested in bright hanging toys. In the late period, the child noticeably lags behind in his development, does not sit, does not walk, his cry is quiet and usually very monotonous, without emotional coloration.
• Consequences. This period begins after the child turns one year old. At this age, the doctor is able to most accurately assess the consequences of a central nervous system disorder in this particular case. Symptoms may disappear, but the disease does not go away. Most often, doctors make such verdicts per year on such children as hyperactivity syndrome, developmental delay (speech, physical, mental).

The most severe diagnoses that can indicate the consequences of central nervous system pathologies are hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, epilepsy.

Treatment

We can talk about treatment when lesions of the central nervous system are diagnosed with maximum accuracy. Unfortunately, in modern medical practice there is a problem of overdiagnosis, in other words, every baby whose chin trembles during a month’s examination, who eats poorly and sleeps restlessly, can easily be diagnosed with “cerebral ischemia.” If a neurologist claims that your baby has lesions of the central nervous system, you should definitely insist on a comprehensive diagnosis, which will include an ultrasound of the brain (through the fontanelle), computed tomography, and in special cases - an x-ray of the skull or spine.

Each diagnosis that is in some way associated with lesions of the central nervous system must be diagnostically confirmed. If signs of a central nervous system disorder are noticed in the maternity hospital, then timely assistance provided by neonatologists helps to minimize the severity possible consequences. It just sounds scary - damage to the central nervous system. In fact, most of these pathologies are reversible and subject to correction if detected in time.

For treatment, medications that improve blood flow and blood supply to the brain are usually used - a large group of nootropic drugs, vitamin therapy, anticonvulsants.

Only a doctor can give an exact list of medications, since this list depends on the causes, degree, period and depth of the lesion. Drug treatment Newborns and infants are usually treated in a hospital setting. After relief of symptoms, the main stage of therapy begins, aimed at recovery. proper operation CNS. This stage usually takes place at home, and parents bear a great deal of responsibility for following numerous medical recommendations.

Children with functional and organic disorders The central nervous system needs:

• therapeutic massage, including hydromassage (procedures take place in water);
• electrophoresis, exposure to magnetic fields;
• Vojta therapy (a set of exercises that allows you to destroy reflex incorrect connections and create new - correct ones, thereby correcting movement disorders);
• Physiotherapy for the development and stimulation of the development of sensory organs (music therapy, light therapy, color therapy).

Such influences are allowed for children from 1 month and must be supervised by specialists.

A little later, parents will be able to master the techniques of therapeutic massage on their own, but for several sessions it is better to go to a professional, although this is quite an expensive pleasure.

Consequences and forecasts

Forecasts for the future for a child with lesions of the central nervous system can be quite favorable, provided that he is provided with prompt and timely medical care in acute or early recovery period. This statement is true only for mild and moderate lesions of the central nervous system. In this case, the main prognosis includes full recovery and restoration of all functions, minor developmental delay, subsequent development of hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder.

In severe forms, the prognosis is not so optimistic. The child may remain disabled, and deaths cannot be ruled out. early age. Most often, lesions of the central nervous system of this type lead to the development of hydrocephalus, childhood cerebral palsy, To epileptic seizures. As a rule, some internal organs are also affected, and the child also experiences chronic diseases kidneys, respiratory and cardiovascular systems, marbled skin.

Prevention

Prevention of pathologies from the central nervous system in a child is the task of the expectant mother. At risk are women who do not leave bad habits while carrying a baby, they smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs.

All pregnant women must be registered with an obstetrician-gynecologist in the antenatal clinic. During pregnancy, they will be asked to undergo so-called screening three times, which identifies the risks of having a child with genetic disorders from that particular pregnancy. Many gross pathologies of the fetal central nervous system become noticeable during pregnancy; some problems can be corrected medicines, for example, disturbances of uteroplacental blood flow, fetal hypoxia, threat of miscarriage due to a small detachment.

A pregnant woman needs to watch her diet and take vitamin complexes for expectant mothers, do not self-medicate, and be careful about various medications that you have to take during pregnancy.

This will avoid metabolic disorders at the baby's. You should be especially careful when choosing a maternity home (the birth certificate that all pregnant women receive allows you to make any choice). After all, the actions of staff during the birth of a child play a big role in possible risks the appearance of traumatic lesions of the central nervous system in a baby.

After the birth of a healthy baby, it is very important to regularly visit the pediatrician, protect the baby from injuries to the skull and spine, and get age-appropriate vaccinations that will protect the little one from dangerous infectious diseases, which at an early age can also lead to the development of pathologies of the central nervous system.

In the next video you will learn about signs of a nervous system disorder in a newborn, which you can determine yourself.

Every expectant mother is afraid of the pathologies of pregnancy and childbirth and wants to prevent them.

One of these pathologies is fetal hypoxia and hypoxia during childbirth, which can lead to disruptions in the functioning of many organs and tissues, including the brain.

The consequences of such damage can affect long time, sometimes all my life.

Causes of hypoxic damage to the central nervous system in a newborn

The central nervous system is the first to suffer from a lack of oxygen, which can be caused by various factors during pregnancy and childbirth. It can be:

During pregnancy:

Preeclampsia on later;

Premature placental abruption, threat of miscarriage;

Heart defects in mother and fetus;

Anemia in mother;

Deficiency or excess amniotic fluid;

Maternal intoxication (drug, occupational, smoking);

Rhesus conflict between mother and fetus;

Infectious diseases of the mother;

During childbirth:

Entanglement of the umbilical cord around the fetal neck;

Weakness labor activity;

Prolonged labor;

Maternal bleeding;

Birth injuries to the neck.

As you can see, most of the dangerous factors affect the health of the baby even before birth, and only a few - during childbirth.

Excess weight, chronic diseases of the mother, or her too young or too mature age (under 18 or over 35) can aggravate the course of pregnancy pathologies leading to hypoxic damage to the central nervous system in the newborn. And with any type of hypoxia, the brain is affected first.

Symptoms of Brain Damage

In the first hours and days after birth signs of disorders of the cardiovascular system come to the fore, and symptoms of hypoxic damage to the central nervous system begin to manifest themselves later.

If brain damage is caused by pregnancy pathology, then the child may be lethargic, have weakened or completely absent reflexes that should be present. healthy newborn. If there is a pathology that occurs during childbirth, the child does not immediately begin to breathe after birth, the skin has a bluish tint, frequency breathing movements lower than normal. And in the same way, physiological reflexes will be reduced - based on these signs one can suspect oxygen starvation.

At an older age brain hypoxia, if it was not cured on time, manifests itself as a slowdown in psycho-emotional development up to severe forms dementia, motor disorders. In this case, the presence of organic pathology is possible - brain cysts, hydrocephalus (especially often occurs with intrauterine infections). Severe brain hypoxia can be fatal.

Diagnosis of hypoxic damage to the central nervous system in a newborn

First diagnostic procedure, which is carried out for all newborns immediately after birth - this is an assessment of his condition on the Apgar scale, which takes into account such vital indicators as breathing, heartbeat, condition skin, muscle tone and reflexes. Healthy child scores 9-10 points on the Apgar scale, signs of hypoxic damage to the central nervous system can significantly reduce this indicator, which should be the reason for more accurate examinations.

Doppler ultrasound allows you to assess the condition of the blood vessels of the brain and identify them congenital anomalies, which can become one of the causes of hypoxia in the fetus and newborn.

Ultrasound, CT and MRI of the brain can identify various organic pathologies of the nervous system - cysts, hydrocephalus, areas of ischemia, underdevelopment of certain parts, tumors. The difference in the operating principles of these methods allows us to see the most complete picture of brain damage.

To assess damage to the functions of the nervous system, neurography and myography are used - these are methods based on the impact on muscle and nerve tissue electric shock, and allowing you to track how they react to it different areas nerves and muscles. In the case of congenital hypoxic damage to the central nervous system in a newborn, this method allows us to understand how damaged the peripheral nervous system is, and how great are the child’s chances for full physical development in this case.

Additionally appointed biochemical analysis blood, urine analysis, allowing to identify biochemical disorders associated with brain hypoxia.

Treatment of hypoxia in newborns

Treatment for hypoxic brain injury depends on its cause and severity. If hypoxia occurs during childbirth and is not accompanied by organic pathology of the brain, blood vessels, heart, lungs or spine, then, depending on the degree, it can either go away on its own within a few hours ( light form, 7-8 Apgar), or require treatment in an oxygen chamber with normal or high blood pressure (hyperbaric oxygen therapy).

Organic pathology that causes constant brain hypoxia (heart defects, respiratory system, neck injuries) are usually treated surgically. The question of the possibility of surgery and its timing depends on the condition of the child. The same applies to organic pathology of the brain (cysts, hydrocephalus), which occurs as a consequence of intrauterine fetal hypoxia. In most cases, the earlier the operation is performed, the greater the child’s chances for full development.

Prevention of hypoxic brain damage

Since the consequences of intrauterine fetal hypoxia are extremely destructive for the child’s brain in the future, a pregnant woman needs to be very careful about her health. It is necessary to minimize the impact of factors that can disrupt the normal course of pregnancy - avoid stress, eat well, exercise in moderation, give up alcohol and smoking, and attend antenatal clinics on time.

For severe gestosis, as well as when signs appear premature detachment placenta and threats of miscarriage - abdominal pain, bloody issues from the genital tract, a sharp decrease in blood pressure, sudden nausea and vomiting for no reason - you should immediately consult a doctor. It may be recommended to go into conservation - this recommendation should not be neglected. Complex therapeutic measures carried out in a hospital will avoid severe fetal hypoxia and its consequences in the form of congenital brain pathologies.

Ultrasound, which is done on last weeks pregnancy, allows us to identify such potentially dangerous conditions such as entanglement with the umbilical cord, which during childbirth can prevent the baby from taking his first breath, pelvic or lateral presentation, which is also dangerous because hypoxia of the newborn will develop during childbirth. To correct dangerous presentation, there are sets of exercises, and if they are ineffective, it is recommended C-section. It is also recommended for entwined umbilical cords.

Measuring the size of a woman's fetus and pelvis allows us to determine anatomically and clinically narrow pelvis– discrepancy between the size of the pelvis and the size of the child’s head. In this case, giving birth naturally will be very traumatic for both mother and child, or may be completely impossible. The safest method of delivery in this case is cesarean section.

During childbirth, it is imperative to monitor the intensity of contractions - if it becomes insufficient for rapid delivery, labor is induced. Long stay the fetus in the birth canal can lead to the development of brain hypoxia, since the placenta no longer supplies its body with oxygen, and the first breath is possible only after birth. This condition can be avoided physical exercise to prepare for childbirth.

The central nervous system (CNS) is the main part of the human nervous system, which consists of a collection of nerve cells. In humans, it is represented by the spinal cord and brain. The departments of the central nervous system regulate the activities of individual organs and systems of the body, and generally ensure the unity of its activities. With lesions of the central nervous system, this function is disrupted.

Damage to the central nervous system can occur in a child both during fetal development (perinatal) and during childbirth (intrapartum). If harmful factors affected the child at the embryonic stage of intrauterine development, then severe defects incompatible with life may occur. After eight weeks of pregnancy, damaging influences will no longer cause gross violations, but sometimes slight deviations appear in the formation of the child. After 28 weeks of intrauterine development of a child, damaging influences will not lead to developmental defects, but a normally formed child may develop some kind of disease.

Perinatal damage to the central nervous system (PP CNS)

This pathology is most often registered in children of the first year of life. This diagnosis involves a disorder of brain function or structure of various origins. CNS PP occurs during the perinatal period. This includes antenatal (from the 28th week of intrauterine development until the onset of labor), intranatal (the act of childbirth itself) and early neonatal (the first week of the child’s life) periods.

Symptoms of CNS PP include increased neuro-reflex excitability; decline muscle tone and reflexes, short-term convulsions and anxiety; muscle hypotonia, hyporeflexia; respiratory, cardiac, renal disorders; paresis and paralysis, etc.

The occurrence of perinatal CNS damage is influenced by the following reasons: somatic diseases mothers, malnutrition and immaturity of a pregnant woman, acute infectious diseases during pregnancy, hereditary diseases, metabolic disorders, pathological course of pregnancy, as well as unfavorable environmental conditions.

According to their origin, all perinatal lesions of the central nervous system can be divided into:

1. Hypoxic-ischemic damage to the central nervous system. Hypoxic-ischemic damage to the central nervous system occurs due to a lack of oxygen supply to the fetus or its utilization during pregnancy or childbirth;
2. Traumatic damage to the central nervous system. Traumatic damage to the central nervous system is caused by traumatic damage to the fetal head at the time of birth;
3. Hypoxic-traumatic damage to the central nervous system. Hypoxic-traumatic damage to the central nervous system is characterized by a combination of hypoxia and damage cervical spine the spine and the spinal cord located in it;
4. Hypoxic-hemorrhagic damage to the central nervous system. Hypoxic-hemorrhagic damage to the central nervous system occurs during birth trauma and is accompanied by disorders cerebral circulation up to hemorrhages.

IN last years diagnostic capabilities of children medical institutions have improved significantly. After one month of the child’s life, a neurologist can determine the exact nature and extent of damage to the central nervous system, as well as predict the further course of the disease, or completely remove suspicion of brain disease. The diagnosis can be characterized either by complete recovery or the development of minimal disorders of the central nervous system, or by severe diseases that require mandatory treatment and regular monitoring by a neurologist.

Treatment of the acute period perinatal lesions CNS is performed in the hospital. Drug therapy, massage, physical therapy and physiotherapeutic procedures, acupuncture, as well as elements of pedagogical correction are used as the main treatment of the disease.

Organic damage to the central nervous system

This diagnosis means that a person's brain is defective to a certain extent. Pathomorphological changes occur in the brain substance. Mild degree organic damage The central nervous system is inherent in almost all people and does not require medical intervention. But the moderate and severe degree of this disease is already a disruption of the nervous system. Symptoms may include freezing spells, sleep disturbances, increased excitability, easy distractibility, repetition of phrases, daytime enuresis. Vision and hearing may deteriorate, and coordination of movements may be impaired. Human immunity decreases, and various colds occur.

The causes of organic damage to the central nervous system are divided into congenital and acquired. The first include cases when during pregnancy the mother of the child suffered an infection (acute respiratory infection, flu, sore throat), took certain medications, smoked and drank alcohol. During periods of psychological stress in the mother, the unified blood supply system can transfer stress hormones to the fetus’s body. Influenced by sharp changes temperature and pressure, exposure to radioactive and toxic substances contained in the air, dissolved in water, food, etc.

Diagnosing organic damage to the central nervous system is quite simple. An experienced psychiatrist can determine the presence or absence of organic matter by looking at a child’s face. However, the types of disorders in the functioning of the brain are determined by laboratory diagnostics, which is based on a series of procedures that are harmless to the body and informative for the doctor: ultrasound diagnostics brain, electroencephalogram, rheoencephalogram.

Treatment of organic matter is a very long process. It is mainly medicinal. To treat organic damage to the central nervous system, medications are used. For example, nootropic drugs can improve brain activity. Vascular drugs are used.

Children are often diagnosed with “residual damage to the LES.” Residual organic damage to the central nervous system occurs in children mainly as residual phenomena birth injuries and brain disorders. Manifests itself as a disorder of associative thinking, and in more severe cases neurological disorders. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor. Various elements of pedagogical correction and concentration exercises are used, and sessions with a psychologist and speech therapist are useful.

The consequences of damage to the central nervous system depend primarily on the degree of the disease. Both complete recovery and delay in mental, motor or speech development in the child, various neurological reactions, etc. It is important that during the first year of life the child receives full rehabilitation.

Help children with diseases affecting the central nervous system

On this moment There are no children with this diagnosis in our foundation's care. However, you can help sick children with other diagnoses!

Organic damage to the central nervous system is a pathology that consists of the death of neurons in the brain or spinal cord, necrosis of the tissues of the central nervous system or their progressive degradation, due to which it becomes inferior and cannot adequately perform its functions in ensuring the functioning of the body and motor activity of the body. , and mental activity.

Organic damage to the central nervous system has another name - encephalopathy. This may be a congenital or acquired disease due to a negative effect on the nervous system.

Acquired can develop in people of any age due to various injuries, poisoning, alcohol or drug addiction, previous infectious diseases, radiation and similar factors.

Congenital or residual - inherited due to genetic malfunctions, fetal development disorders during the perinatal period (the period of time between the one hundred and fifty-fourth day of pregnancy and the seventh day of extrauterine existence), as well as due to birth injuries.

The classification of lesions depends on the cause of the development of the pathology:

• Discirculatory – caused by a violation of the blood supply.
• Ischemic – discirculatory organic lesion, supplemented destructive processes in specific areas.
• Toxic – cell death due to toxins (poisons).
• Radiation – radiation damage.
• Perinatal-hypoxic – due to fetal hypoxia.
• Mixed type.
• Residual – resulting from a violation of intrauterine development or birth injuries.

Causes of acquired organic brain damage

It is not at all difficult to acquire damage to cells of the spinal cord or brain, since they are very sensitive to any negative impact, but most often it develops for the following reasons:

• Spinal injuries or traumatic brain injuries.
• Toxic damage, including alcohol, medications, drugs and psychotropic drugs.
• Vascular diseases that cause circulatory disorders, and with it hypoxia or lack of nutrients or tissue injury, such as a stroke.
• Infectious diseases.

You can understand the reason for the development of one or another type of organic lesion based on the name of its variety; as mentioned above, the classification of this disease is based on the reasons.

How and why residual damage to the central nervous system occurs in children

Residual organic damage to the central nervous system in a child occurs due to a negative impact on the development of his nervous system, or due to hereditary genetic abnormalities or birth injuries.

The mechanisms of development of hereditary residual organic lesions are exactly the same as in any hereditary diseases when distortion of hereditary information due to DNA damage leads to improper development of the child’s nervous system or the structures that ensure its vital functions.

An intermediate process to a non-hereditary pathology looks like a failure in the formation of cells or even entire organs of the spinal cord and brain due to negative influences environment:

• Serious illnesses suffered by the mother during pregnancy, as well as viral infections. Even the flu or a simple cold can provoke the development of residual organic damage to the fetal central nervous system.
• Lack of nutrients, minerals and vitamins.
• Toxic effects, including medicinal ones.
• Bad habits of the mother, especially smoking, alcoholism and drugs.
• Bad ecology.
• Irradiation.
• Fetal hypoxia.
• Physical immaturity of the mother, or, conversely, the advanced age of the parents.
• Use of special sports nutrition or some dietary supplements.
• Severe stress.

The mechanism of the influence of stress on premature birth or miscarriage through convulsive contraction of its walls is clear; not many understand how maternal stress leads to the death of the fetus or disruption of its development.

With severe or systematic stress, the mother’s nervous system suffers, which is responsible for all processes in her body, including the life support of the fetus. With the disruption of its activity, a variety of malfunctions and the development of vegetative syndromes can occur - dysfunctions of internal organs, which destroys the balance in the body that ensures the development and survival of the fetus.

Traumatic injuries of various types during childbirth, which can cause organic damage to the child’s central nervous system, are also very different:

• Asphyxia.
• Injury to the spine or base of the skull due to improper removal and twisting of the child from the uterus.
• Child falling.
• Premature birth.
• Uterine atony (the uterus is unable to contract normally and push out the baby).
• Compression of the head.
• Entry of amniotic fluid into the respiratory tract.

Even during the perinatal period, the child can become infected various infections both from the mother during childbirth and hospital strains.

Symptoms

Any damage to the central nervous system has symptoms in the form of disturbances in mental activity, reflexes, motor activity and disruption of the functioning of internal organs and sensory organs.

It is quite difficult even for a professional to immediately see the symptoms of residual organic damage to the central nervous system in an infant, since the movements of infants are specific, mental activity is not immediately determined, and disturbances in the functioning of internal organs can only be noticed with the naked eye when severe pathologies. But sometimes clinical manifestations can be noticed from the first days of life:

• Violation of muscle tone.
• and head (most often benign, but can also be a symptom of neurological diseases).
• Paralysis.
• Impaired reflexes.
• Chaotic rapid eye movements back and forth or frozen gaze.
• Impaired functions of the sense organs.
• Epileptic seizures.

At an older age, from about three months, you can notice the following symptoms:

• Impaired mental activity: the child does not follow the toys, shows hyperactivity or, on the contrary, apathy, suffers from attention deficit, does not recognize acquaintances, etc.
• Delayed physical development, both direct growth and acquisition of skills: does not hold his head up, does not crawl, does not coordinate movements, does not try to stand up.
• Rapid physical and mental fatigue.
• Emotional instability, moodiness.
• Psychopathy (tendency to affect, aggression, disinhibition, inappropriate reactions).
• Organic-psychic infantilism, expressed in the suppression of personality, the formation of dependencies and increased reporting.
• Loss of coordination.
• Memory impairment.

If a child is suspected of having a central nervous system lesion

If any symptoms of central nervous system dysfunction appear in a child, you must immediately contact a neurologist and undergo comprehensive examination, which may include the following procedures:

• General tests, different kinds tomography (each type of tomography examines from its own side and therefore gives different results).
• Ultrasound of the fontanel.
• EEG is an electroencephalogram that allows you to identify foci of pathological brain activity.
• X-ray.
• CSF analysis.
• Neurosonography is an analysis of neuron conductivity that helps identify minor hemorrhages or disturbances in the functioning of peripheral nerves.

If you suspect any abnormalities in your child’s health, you should consult a doctor as early as possible, since timely treatment will help avoid a huge number of problems, and will also significantly shorten the recovery time. You should not be afraid of false suspicions and unnecessary examinations, since, unlike probable pathologies, they will not harm the baby.

Sometimes this pathology is diagnosed during fetal development during a routine ultrasound examination.

Methods of treatment and rehabilitation

Treatment of the disease is quite labor-intensive and lengthy, however, with minor damage and proper therapy, congenital residual organic damage to the central nervous system in newborns can be completely eliminated, since nerve cells babies are able to divide for some time, and the entire nervous system of young children is very flexible.

• First of all, this pathology requires constant monitoring by a neurologist and the attentive attitude of the parents themselves.
• If necessary, carried out drug therapy both to eliminate the root cause of the disease, and in the form symptomatic treatment: relieving convulsive symptoms, nervous excitability etc.
• At the same time, as a method of treatment or recovery, physiotherapeutic treatment is carried out, which includes massage, acupuncture, zootherapy, swimming, gymnastics, reflexology or other methods designed to stimulate the nervous system, encourage it to begin recovery by forming new neural connections and teach the child himself to use his body in case of impaired motor activity in order to minimize its inability to live independently.
• In more late age psychotherapeutic influences are used both on the child himself and on his immediate environment in order to improve the moral situation around the child and prevent development mental disorders him.
• Speech correction.
• Specialized training tailored to individual characteristics child.

Conservative treatment is carried out in a hospital and consists of taking medicines in the form of injections. These medications reduce brain swelling, reduce seizure activity, and improve blood circulation. Almost everyone is prescribed piracetam or drugs with a similar effect: pantogam, caviton or phenotropil.

In addition to the main drugs, symptomatic relief of the condition is carried out with the help of sedatives, painkillers, improve digestion, stabilize heart function and reduce any other negative manifestations diseases.

After eliminating the cause of the disease, therapy for its consequences is carried out, designed to restore the functions of the brain, and with them the work of internal organs and motor activity. If it is impossible to completely eliminate residual manifestations, the goal of restorative therapy is to teach the patient to live with his body, use his limbs and self-care as independently as possible.

Many parents underestimate the benefits of physiotherapeutic methods in the treatment of neurological ailments, but they are fundamental methods, allowing you to restore lost or impaired functions.

The recovery period is extremely long, and ideally lasts a lifetime, since when the nervous system is damaged, the patient has to overcome himself every day. With due diligence and patience, by a certain age a child with encephalopathy can become completely independent and even lead active image life, the maximum possible at the level of his defeat.

It is impossible to cure the pathology on your own, and if mistakes are made due to a lack of medical education, you can not only aggravate the situation many times over, but even cause death. Collaboration with a neurologist for people with encephalopathy becomes lifelong, but the use traditional methods Nobody forbids therapy.

Traditional methods of treating organic damage to the central nervous system are the most effective methods restorations that do not replace conservative treatment with physiotherapy, but complement it very well. Only when choosing one method or another is it necessary to consult a doctor again, so as to distinguish between useful and effective methods from useless and harmful it is extremely difficult without deep specialized medical knowledge, as well as minimal chemical literacy.

If it is impossible to visit specialized institutions to take a course of exercise therapy, massage and aquatherapy, they can be easily carried out at home, having mastered simple techniques with the help of a neurologist consultation.

An equally important aspect of treatment is social rehabilitation with psychological adaptation of the patient. You should not overprotect a sick child, helping him in everything, because otherwise he will not be able to fully develop, and as a result, he will not be able to fight pathology. Help is needed only for vital things or special cases. IN Everyday life self-execution everyday duties will work as additional physiotherapy or exercise therapy, and will also teach the child to overcome difficulties and that patience and perseverance always lead to excellent results.

Consequences

Organic damage to parts of the central nervous system perinatal period or at an older age leads to the development of a large number of various neurological syndromes:

• Hypertension-hydrocephalic – hydrocephalus accompanied by increased intracranial pressure. It is determined in infants by the enlargement of the fontanel, its swelling or pulsation.
• Hyperexcitability syndrome - increased muscle tone, sleep disturbance, increased activity, frequent crying, high convulsive readiness or epilepsy.
• Epilepsy is a convulsive syndrome.
• Comatose syndrome with opposite symptoms of hyperexcitability, when the child is lethargic, apathetic, moves little, lacks sucking, swallowing or other reflexes.
• Autonomic-visceral dysfunction of internal organs, which can be expressed as frequent regurgitation, digestive disorders, skin manifestations and many other deviations.
• Motor disorders.
• Cerebral palsy is a movement disorder complicated by other defects, including mental retardation and weakness of the sensory organs.
• Hyperactivity is an inability to concentrate and lack of attention.
• Mental retardation or physical development, or complex.
• Mental illness due to brain disorders.
• Psychological illnesses due to the patient’s discomfort among society or physical disability.

• Endocrine disorders, and as a result, decreased immunity.

Forecast

The prognosis of acquired organic damage to the central nervous system is rather unclear, since everything depends on the level of damage. In case of congenital appearance diseases, in some cases the prognosis is more favorable, since the child’s nervous system recovers many times faster, and his body adapts to it.

After proper treatment and rehabilitation, the function of the central nervous system can be either completely restored or have some residual syndrome.

The consequences of early organic damage to the central nervous system often lead to mental and physical retardation in development, and also lead to disability.

From positive points What can be highlighted is that many parents whose children received this terrible diagnosis, with the help of intensive rehabilitation therapy, they achieve magical results, refuting the most pessimistic forecasts of doctors, providing their child with a normal future.