Lateral ventricle enlargement is more common in boys

Does enlarged lateral ventricle mean it's a boy? The gender of the fetus during pregnancy is a matter of particular concern to expectant parents. However, since it is strictly forbidden to check the gender of the fetus in our country, many ways to distinguish between boys and girls have been widely circulated among the people. For example, is it true that enlarged lateral ventricles indicate a boy? Is it true that enlarged lateral ventricles indicate a boy?

Is it a boy if the lateral ventricle is enlarged?

Enlarged lateral ventricles do not necessarily mean the baby is a boy. The widening of the ventricles is caused by excessive accumulation of brain tissue in the ventricular system, which leads to the expansion of the ventricular system. During the color Doppler ultrasound examination before delivery, if the width of the fetus's lateral ventricle exceeds 10mm, it is called lateral ventricle enlargement. Scientific studies have shown that about 0.5 to 1.5 fetuses with cerebral ventricle enlargement will occur in every 1,000 pregnancies, and boys are more likely to be girls. However, this does not mean that a fetus with cerebral ventricle enlargement will definitely be a boy, but it only means that the possibility of being a boy is higher.

What is lateral ventricle enlargement?

Ventriculomegaly refers to the fact that during prenatal ultrasound examination, the width of the fetus's lateral ventricle is shown to be greater than 10mm. The width of the lateral ventricle is a key indicator for predicting the function of the fetal central nervous system and is a basic item in systematic color Doppler ultrasound examination before delivery. During the 16-38 weeks of pregnancy, the normal width of the lateral ventricle is generally 7.6mm±0.6mm. When the width of the body of the fetal lateral ventricle reaches 10-15mm, it is called mild ventriculomegaly (MVM), with an incidence of about 1% in the late pregnancy. If the fetus has mild ventriculomegaly without any other structural abnormalities, it is called isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMVM). If the width of the lateral ventricle exceeds 15mm, it is fetal hydrocephalus. Generally speaking, about 60% of cases are mild unilateral ventriculomegaly, and about 40% of cases are mild bilateral ventriculomegaly.

Causes of ventriculomegaly

1. Abnormalities in the fetal central nervous system: It may be caused by abnormalities in the development of the fetal brain central line structure or local space-occupying lesions; 2. Errors in other systemic diseases: A brain manifestation of errors in other systemic diseases. The pathogenic factors are chromosomal abnormalities, viral infections (such as rubella virus infection, toxoplasmosis infection and syphilis infection), etc.

What to do if the lateral ventricle is enlarged

1. Carry out relevant inspections

When ultrasound shows that the fetus's lateral ventricle is enlarged, pregnant women should not panic and blindly terminate the pregnancy. Instead, they should go to the prenatal examination department for medical treatment, seek advice from professional doctors, and conduct relevant examinations to confirm the diagnosis and find out the cause of the disease. Pregnant women generally need to undergo chromosome karyotype analysis, because chromosome abnormalities can cause fetal lateral ventricle enlargement; fetal intrauterine infection can also cause fetal lateral ventricle enlargement, and TORCH virus infection screening is recommended; in addition, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) examinations are also needed to help diagnose other central nervous system diseases.

2. Review on time

If examination shows that the fetus only has enlarged ventricle, and no other structural malformations or abnormalities such as genetic markers, it will be gradually absorbed with the growth of the fetus. Therefore, pregnant women only need to have regular check-ups. Pregnant women should have follow-up ultrasound every 3-4 weeks until the baby is born. After 26 weeks, a cranial MRI examination can be performed to rule out abnormalities in other brain structures. After birth, regular follow-up visits can be made to the pediatric hospital outpatient clinic to assess the growth and brain development of newborn babies and children.