 Ministry of Health
NZ Government
©Copyright
Published:
29/11/2011
|
-
Note:
The set-up of your monitor may impact significantly on the quality of the images
contained within this section. If the images appear very dark, please ensure
that the brightness control on the screen is set appropriately.
Head ultrasound scans are an
integral part of the care of sick newborn infants. They are the imaging
mode of first choice because of
- ease of access,
- cost,
- good imaging of central
structures of the brain (ventricles and germinal matrix) and of the
circulation
Ultrasound, however, is less good
at imaging the peripheries of the brain. For these areas, CT or MRI may
provide better images after an initial ultrasound scan.
The main use of
ultrasound scanning in the NICU is to image the preterm brain for evidence of
Germinal Matrix - Intraventricular Haemorrhage (GM-IVH). This
may occurs in
up to 20% of infants with gestations <32 weeks at birth.
|
