What complication can result from blood accumulation in the subarachnoid space of neonates?

When blood accumulates in the subarachnoid space in neonates, one potential complication is communicating hydrocephalus. This condition occurs when the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is disrupted due to the presence of blood, leading to an increased volume of CSF in the ventricles of the brain. In the case of neonatal subarachnoid hemorrhage, the blood can obstruct the absorption of CSF at the arachnoid granulations, resulting in increased intracranial pressure and potentially causing the ventricles to enlarge.

Communicating hydrocephalus differs from non-communicating hydrocephalus, where an obstruction occurs within the ventricular system itself. In communicating hydrocephalus, the CSF pathways remain open, but the absorption is impaired because of the inflammatory response that often accompanies the presence of blood in the subarachnoid space.

While seizures and hypotonia can also occur in the context of neurological injury in neonates, they are not direct results of blood accumulation in the subarachnoid space specifically. Intracranial hemorrhage is more of a causative condition rather than a complication resulting from the blood accumulation in the subarachnoid space itself. Therefore, the development of communicating