Birth Defect: Hydrocephalus
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Hydrocephalus is a birth defect commonly associated with another birth defect called Spina Bifida. In hydrocephalus -- Latin for "fluid on the brain" -- cerebral-spinal fluid which normally lubricates, cushions, and protects the brain as well as aids the proper functioning of the brain's neurotransmitters, is unable to drain effectively and builds up in the cranium.
Externally in infants and very young children -- whose bones have barely begun to harden -- this causes the skull to swell and enlarge unless immediate treatment is sought, or until death occurs. Internally, the swelling creates pressure on the brain, which becomes compressed and shrunken unless the pressure is released, and can cause brain damage which may not be reversible. In older adolescents and adults who develop hydrocephalus, the skull has by now hardened and the pressure will have nowhere to go but in. Some symptoms may include intense headaches or migraines, memory problems, blurred vision, and or loss of consciousness.
The treatment for hydrocephalus is usually a shunt. In this context, a shunt is a tube that begins in the Spina Bifidant's skull which trails down into the chest or stomach cavity, where excess spinal fluid can drain and be harmlessly absorbed back into the body. A button is accessible outside the skull underneath the scalp which is used to activate the shunt valve. This way, infection and excessive drainage is prevented.
In older patients, headaches or dizziness may signal a build up in cerebral-spinal fluid pressure, and they will generally be aware that they need to "press the button" themselves, which makes the shunt convenient and safe to use. Pressing the button when there is no build up is harmless to the individual, however this should not be attempted without express permission of the individual or unless by a trained physician. Many individuals with hydrocephalus who have shunts will need to have the shunt removed or replaced due to infection or physical growth at some point in their lives.
Up to 80% of all patients who have childhood hydrocephalus and have a shunt placed in their bodies will develop clinical depression by adulthood, but the cause of this has yet to be determined. It is important that if standard treatment for depression in a patient with a shunt does not improve their mental health, that the patient see their physician who handled their birth defect matters as quickly as possible, as the shunt may need to be removed or replaced. Some children who have hydrocephalus will experience a period of "remission" from the defect. However all individuals who have hydrocephalus in childhood who live to adulthood, will experience a reoccurrence. If the previous shunt has not already been replaced or removed altogether, it is likely that it will need to be replaced when the hydrocephalus returns.
For more information, please visit: http://www.noah.cuny.edu:8080/pregnancy/march_of_dimes/birth_defects/spinabif.html
Externally in infants and very young children -- whose bones have barely begun to harden -- this causes the skull to swell and enlarge unless immediate treatment is sought, or until death occurs. Internally, the swelling creates pressure on the brain, which becomes compressed and shrunken unless the pressure is released, and can cause brain damage which may not be reversible. In older adolescents and adults who develop hydrocephalus, the skull has by now hardened and the pressure will have nowhere to go but in. Some symptoms may include intense headaches or migraines, memory problems, blurred vision, and or loss of consciousness.
The treatment for hydrocephalus is usually a shunt. In this context, a shunt is a tube that begins in the Spina Bifidant's skull which trails down into the chest or stomach cavity, where excess spinal fluid can drain and be harmlessly absorbed back into the body. A button is accessible outside the skull underneath the scalp which is used to activate the shunt valve. This way, infection and excessive drainage is prevented.
In older patients, headaches or dizziness may signal a build up in cerebral-spinal fluid pressure, and they will generally be aware that they need to "press the button" themselves, which makes the shunt convenient and safe to use. Pressing the button when there is no build up is harmless to the individual, however this should not be attempted without express permission of the individual or unless by a trained physician. Many individuals with hydrocephalus who have shunts will need to have the shunt removed or replaced due to infection or physical growth at some point in their lives.
Up to 80% of all patients who have childhood hydrocephalus and have a shunt placed in their bodies will develop clinical depression by adulthood, but the cause of this has yet to be determined. It is important that if standard treatment for depression in a patient with a shunt does not improve their mental health, that the patient see their physician who handled their birth defect matters as quickly as possible, as the shunt may need to be removed or replaced. Some children who have hydrocephalus will experience a period of "remission" from the defect. However all individuals who have hydrocephalus in childhood who live to adulthood, will experience a reoccurrence. If the previous shunt has not already been replaced or removed altogether, it is likely that it will need to be replaced when the hydrocephalus returns.
For more information, please visit: http://www.noah.cuny.edu:8080/pregnancy/march_of_dimes/birth_defects/spinabif.html
