A cranial sonogram is a procedure conducted to analyze the state of an unborn child’s brain as it develops during pregnancy. A cranial sonogram may also be performed soon after birth if there is any suspicion of some problem within the brain. A cranial sonogram procedure is limited to infants as the ultrasound waves cannot pass through thick bony structures. As infants grow, the structure of their skill becomes thick and well defined. Therefore, a cranial sonogram can be performed only in the weeks immediately after delivery.
An ultrasound test uses high frequency sound waves that cannot be heard by human beings. These high frequency sounds can be calibrated to ensure that they pass through the outer layers of skin and tissue and bounce off the inner layers of organ mass. This will help to produce an image of the internal organs of the human body. This image will help in detecting abnormalities in terms of the size and shape of these organs. Images garnered in this way also help to detect any internal bleeding that might take place. An ultrasound test is conducted using a machine that generates high frequency sound waves and receives the waves as they bounce off of solid objects within the body. The device used for conducting this test is known as a transducer. The transducer is placed on the head of the baby and moved around. As this is done, live images are produced on the screen attached to the transducer. These images may even be frozen so that the doctor can evaluate the image in detail. The entire process of a cranial sonogram takes less than half an hour to perform.
The cranial sonogram procedure is used primarily for two medical conditions. These conditions are periventricular leukomalacia and intraventricular hemorrhage. These two conditions are both life threatening because they involve bleeding in the brain. A cranial scan is therefore conducted to ensure that the child is not suffering from such problems. In general, there is evidence to suggest that both these medical conditions tend to affect premature babies more often than babies born after a normal pregnancy term. Babies who are born prematurely may be kept under observation to ensure that there are no signs of these medical conditions. If the doctor notices such signs a cranial ultrasound may be ordered immediately. If there is any problem detected, the baby will be sent for an emergency medical procedure to cure the problem.