Baby head shapes

Hydrocephalus
The term hydrocephalus comes from two Greek words meaning 'water in the head'. It affects one in 6,000 babies in the UK. The 'water' is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that does not drain away as usual. Because it is constantly produced but cannot get out, CSF accumulates, causing raised pressure, the brain tissue stretches and is squashed and the head gets larger. The effects of hydrocephalus include pressure on the eyes that may lead to a squint or impaired vision, and symptoms related to raised intercranial pressure such as vomiting, drowsiness, fits and failure to thrive. Later in childhoon, there may be effects on concentration, memory or co-ordination.

Premature birth is the most common cause of hydrocephalus because there is a higher risk of bleeding into the berain, which may block the absorptions system. Before birth a congenital abnormality such as Spina Bifida or infection with Toxoplasmosis may be a cause. Meningitis after birth may also casue inflammation that blocks the CSF pathways. Cysts and tumours are extremely unusual causes.

• Hydrocephalus is usually treated with an operation that allow the CSF to drain, via a shunt, into the bloodstream. Occasionally a shunt may be put in place using amniocentisis during pregnancy and will be replaced with a more permanent shunt after birth. More recent techniques for making an opening in the skull instead of using a shunt are suitable for some types of hydrocephalus.
  
• Most children with hydrocephalus are educated in mainstream education - sometimes with extra healp if they have learning difficulties. If the treatment is working effectively, the prospects are good. The system of shunting has been used since the 1960s and many adults have grown up with shunts without complications.