New York Birth Injury Malpractice

Hydrocephalus Symptoms

What is Hydrocephalus?

Definition from Missouri Department of Social Services

Hydrocephalus: (hydro, water + cephalo, head) is a condition characterized by an increase of cerebrophinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain, which causes an increase in the size of the head and pressure changes in the brain. Hydrocephalus may be congenital or acquired. It is most commonly caused by an obstruction such as a tumor or improper formation of the ventricles. The classic symptom is an increase in the head size. This condition may be corrected by surgically implanting a shunt to bypass the point of obstruction.

When you feel your baby's head along the suture lines, you may find that the bones are separated. Symptoms to watch for are vomiting, sleepiness, irritability and downward deviation of the baby's eyes (the sunsetting sign).

Causes of Hydrocephalus

A variety of medical problems can cause hydrocephalus. In many children the problem is there at birth - this kind of hydrocephalus is referred to as congenital. Most cases of congenital hydrocephalus are thought to be caused by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors.

Read more about this at a wonderful organization that informs & helps with this: http://www.hydroassoc.org/information/infant.html

A head injury can damage the brain's tissues, nerves or blood vessels. Blood from these ruptured vessels may enter the CSF pathways. When this occurs, the CSF flow becomes restricted and hydrocephalus develops.