Simultaneous measurement of ventricular fluid and fontanelle pressure in neonates and infants with hydrocephalus.

Simultaneous measurement of fontanelle and ventricular fluid pressure was performed during 1-2 hours in 17 neonates and infants with hydrocephalus at a mean age of 7 weeks on 19 occasions. The fontanelle pressure recorded by a Ladd sensor was on the average 1.1 mmHg lower than the ventricular fluid pressure and differed from it by a standard deviation of +/- 3.5 mmHg. The most important problem in continuous fontanometry is the evaluation of the precise application pressure at the beginning of the examination. Fontanometry is for the present appropriate to trend analysis and screening examination, but not to measure the exact intracranial pressure.