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Ultrasound of the newborn
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
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For carrying out ultrasound examinations (ultrasound) of newborns, a certain skill is required.
Indications for ultrasound of a newborn
Suspicion for the presence of anomalies:
- Organs of the abdominal cavity.
- Heads.
- Hip joints.
- Suspicion of the pyloric stenosis.
Abdominal studies of newborns
Indications:
- Education in the abdominal cavity.
- Fever of unknown origin.
- Hemolytic disease of newborns.
- Infectious diseases, such as toxoplasmosis or listeriosis.
Liver
In order to fully visualize the entire liver, the hepatic and portal veins, multiple sections must be made.
Gallbladder (jaundice)
According to the echography it is not always possible to differentiate biliary atresia and hepatitis of newborns. Other causes of obstructive jaundice, such as choledocha cysts, gallstones, hyperechoic thick bile, can also be detected by ultrasound. A normal gallbladder is 2-4 cm long. The gallbladder is absent or sharply reduced with extrahepatic biliary atresia, but can have normal dimensions.
It is important to be able to visualize the main blood vessels of the fetus and their main branches.
Kidneys
In the study to exclude diseases of the urinary system, it must be remembered that until about 6 months of age, the kidneys differ significantly in acoustic characteristics from the kidneys of adults.
- Cortico-medullar differentiation is more pronounced in children.
- Pyramids of the kidney are relatively more hypoechoic and can simulate cysts.
- The bark of the parenchyma is less echogenic than the parenchyma of the liver.
As the child grows, the cortico-medullar differentiation decreases.