As most of you know i am pregnant I found out on November 24th that i am having a little boy Dotlan-Ray Nathaniel Jewett. In the ultrasound on the 24th it was found out the he could have possible
Congenital hydrocephalus (congenital meaning developed before birth) I have included some information about it becasue i know most of you will wonder what it is. We will have another ultrasound in January to detemine if it is 100% but i ask that you would please pray and keep your head up for us. with everything i have been handed in the last yr i hope that this would be one more thing i can handle. its very hard to deal with and i have been up almost all night trying to cope and understand and i still dont but i know it will come in time i love my unborn son like the others even if he is not here yet. so thank you for reading and i hope you will pray for Tyson Roy-Allan, Doltan-Ray and I.
The word hydrocephalus is derived from two Greek words, hydro, meaning water, and cephalus, meaning head, and once was called "water on the brain." Hydrocephalus is the condition caused by the accumulation of an abnormally large amount of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the skull, or cranium. Normally, CSF flows continually from the interior cavities in the brain (ventricles) to the thin subarachnoid space that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
Congenital hydrocephalus affects about one in every 1000 births. The overall prevalence in the United States is about 0.5%. Most cases are detected early, either at or soon after birth, congenital (developed before birth)
If the cause is congenital, symptoms such as an enlarged head may be present at birth.
Congenital hydrocephalus occurs and is mostly gentic
Congenital hydrocephalus occurs during fetal development and is present at birth.
Treatment
Treatment usually requires draining the excess fluid from the brain by diverting it to another place in the body.
Shunt
A shunt is a soft, flexible tube usually made of silicone rubber or plastic. Most shunts consist of a valve that promotes drainage and a catheter, a tube that connects the drainage site to the deposit site. If there is high intracranial pressure, a small sensor may be added near the valve. This sensor allows the neurosurgeon to monitor pressure levels.
The shunt used for treating hydrocephalus is usually permanent. The shunt is inserted with one tip in one of the ventricles of the brain and the other tip in the abdominal (peritoneal) cavity. This is known as a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. Less commonly used drainage sites include the right ventricle of the heart, the gall bladder, and the pleural space around the lungs. Depending on the location of the obstruction, fluid also may be drained from the subarachnoid space that surrounds the brain.
Prognosis
Hydrocephalus is usually a lifelong disorder. Prognosis depends on a number of factors, including the underlying condition that resulted in hydrocephalus, its duration and degree, as well as response to treatment.
