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What is the symptom of the setting sun? Does this symptom require a neurological or ophthalmological consultation? What exactly is this symptom? Is it related to serious medical conditions? The question is answered by the drug. Katarzyna Darecka.
What is the sunset symptom?
Good day. I am a mother of a two-month-old son. I have noticed that you are not looking straight ahead, but upwards or downwards. It looks weird. It also worried me a bit, because in my older son (2 years old), when he was Antek’s age, I did not notice it. Of course, I heard from my mother and mother-in-law that I was exaggerating, that my son is still tiny and everything will be equal for him. However, I did not agree with them and guided by my own reason, I went with my son to the pediatrician.
The diagnosis the pediatrician is making knocked me off my feet – symptom of the setting sun. We were urgently referred to a neurologist and ophthalmologist. Despite the fact that we got a referral for a cito, we have to wait a week and a half. But please answer me, what exactly is the sunset symptom? I read on various websites that the symptom of the setting sun is a symptom of hydrocephalus or autism. Is it true? I’m very scared.
Please let me know what is the setting sun symptom in a 2-month-old baby? Could it be a serious illness? Does the sunset symptom indicate hydrocephalus and autism? Thanks for the answer, Anna.
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The doctor explains what the symptom of the setting sun is
The sunset symptom is a phenomenon in the eyes of infants that manifests as an impaired look up. In this state, the eyes look downward, the sclerae of the eyes are more visible in the upper part of the eye, under the upper eyelid, and the lower eyelid covers the lower pupil and iris, similar to the sun setting behind the horizon. The symptom occurs the entire time the child is observed.
The pathogenesis of this symptom is not well understood, but it is associated with increased intracranial pressure and pressure on structures such as the paraventricular gray matter, most often in the course of hydrocephalus, but the symptom of the setting sun may not always be associated with it.
If hydrocephalus is the cause of the symptom, other symptoms may also be noted, such as too rapid growth of the head circumference, widening of the cranial sutures, vomiting, excessive sleepiness or irritability, disturbed eating, no or less than normal weight gain.
The symptom of the setting sun is a marker of an increase in intracranial pressure in 40 percent. Affected infants are associated with (whatever the cause) hydrocephalus. It is a symptom that occurs before the enlargement of the circumference of the skull and other symptoms mentioned above, and requires radiological diagnostics in the form of, for example, ultrasound ultrasound.
However, studies show that the symptom can be temporarily induced in healthy infants up to 7 months of age after using the light position or removing it. We are then talking about a false or alleged symptom of the setting sun and it is associated with the immaturity of the nervous system responsible for controlling eye movements.
As for the association of sunset symptom with autism, no research has been published in the research database, so if there is such evidence, it is anecdotal and of no value. There is currently no evidence to link the sunset symptom with autism.
It should be remembered that you can always ask the doctor a question about the patient – he should be able to take the time and answer bothering questions. We must prepare, however, that he will not be able to give us a satisfactory answer to all of them, but he will certainly do it to the best of his ability, based on the available medical knowledge.
– Lek. Katarzyna Darecka
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