Hydrocephalus Baby
Hydrocephalus is the expansion of fluid in the cavities within the brain. The excess fluid raises the size of the ventricle and forces on the brain.
Hydrocephalus can appear in children and any age, but it happens more regularly between infants and adults 60 and over.
Brain damage can happen as a result of fluid build-up. That can lead to physical, developmental, and mental impairments—it is essential to prevent serious complications.
I had earlier shared What is Specific Developmental Disorder?: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment I hope you read the post.
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Hydrocephalus causes
Cerebrospinal fluid flows along with your brain and spinal cord in normal conditions. Under definite conditions, the amount of cerebrospinal fluid flow in your brain increases. Amount of CSF can increase when:
- Bleeding around the brain
- Head injury before and after delivery
- Brain tumor
- Stroke
- After delivery, bleeding in the brain
- Head trauma
I have already covered : What Is A Brain Aneurysm
Hydrocephalus symptoms
Hydrocephalus cans lifelong brain damage, so you must acknowledge the symptoms of this condition. The situation is more common in children, and it can affect any people of age.
The sign and symptoms of hydrocephalus are usually very subtle.
Urinary symptoms
- Urgency to urinate
- Incapacity to hold urine
Infants
- Large head
- Vomiting
- Strength and low muscle
- Sleepiness and Irritability
- Poor feeding and growth
To learn more, you can read: Do i have a sleep disorder?
Older Children
- Change personality and memory loss
- Headache
- Change facial structure
- speech problem
- Leg weakness
Young and middle-aged adults
- Memory loss
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Sudden falls
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How is hydrocephalus diagnosed?
If you feel your child and you have hydrocephalus, your doctor will execute a general physical exam to look for your signs and symptoms. In a child, doctors check for sunken eyes, a bulging fontanel, and a head circumference that is larger than average for their age.
Your doctor also uses ultrasound to get closer to the brain. These ultrasound tests use such high-frequency Sound waves to create images of your brain.
MRI scans can use to look for your signs and symptoms of excess CSF. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can use a magnetic field and radio signal to make a cross-sectional image of the brain.
A computerized tomography scan specially designed for X-ray technology can make cross-sectional views of the brain. Scanning is painless and fast. But this test also requires lying still, so a child receives a light relaxation.
Hydrocephalus treatment
Shunt
In hydrocephalus, the typical treatment is the surgical insertion of a drainage system called a shunt treatment. It contains a long and flexible tube with a valve that keeps fluid from the brain flowing in the right direction and adequately.
People who have hydrocephalus need a shunt system for their lives, and regular monitoring is required.
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy
Endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a surgical treatment that can use for a few people. In the proceeding, your doctor uses a video camera to visualize inside the brain. A doctor makes a hole in the brain, the bottom of the ventricles, and between the ventricles to collect your cerebrospinal fluid from flow out of your brain.
Hydrocephalus life expectancy
Children have an entire life span if hydrocephalus is caught and treated early. Infants who experience surgical treatment to reduce the fluid in the brain and survive to age will not have a reduced life expectancy due to hydrocephalus.
Approximately 50% of the patients die before three years of age, and 80% die before adulthood.
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Hydrocephalus prevention
You can’t stop your hydrocephalus, but you can bottom your risk and your child’s risk for developing the situation.
Ensure you get prenatal care during your pregnancy. That can help reduce your chance of going into premature labor and a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, regular exercise, and maintaining your weight; this can help minimize hydrocephalus.
Use safety pieces of equipment during traveling, such as helmets and risk of head injuries, by always wearing a seat belt to prevent head injuries.
Here are 3 guides that you can refer to learn more about