Hydrocephalus?

[ermm23a]

Anyone have experience with this? Pediatrician is sending us to hospital today for a CT scan to check to see if my little man has this.

I am refusing to allow myself to google it.

 

[XJessicaX]

Ask away! I am/was a nurse on a neurosurgical ward.

 

[kalou1972]

Sorry no chic...i've never come accross it !

Has the doctor not explained anything to you??

PS Hope all goes well xxxx

 

[ermm23a]

How serious is it? The doc didn't tell me anything other than that he wanted a CT scan done today before any of his shots. His head is off the charts for growth.

 

[todteach]

Happy to hear that they're looking into this for you. Hopefully after testing is done, your mind will be more at ease. Will be thinking of you today.

 

[XJessicaX]

I am not sure how much you know? Don't want to sound patronising by giving a simplified explanation but basically its a build up of CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) in the brain. Usually the CSF drains away naturally but sometimes a blockage or damage can cause it to pool in the ventricles which expand and push the brain out towards the skull causing a pressure inside the head which 'can' cause seizures. Because a baby's skull has not fused it can cause a bulging of the head which is why your LO may have been referred. Some babies just have big heads though!!
Its serious as in the child/adult will require surgery to place something called a 'shunt' in which helps drain the CSF. There are other options but the shunt tends to be the most effective. Caught early there is every chance that the baby will have a completely normal life but with a few operations to replace the shunts as they often block. Some of my patients were men in their 80's who were having their shunt replaced.

 

[ho11i3]

hi, i dont know much about hydrocephalus itself but i just wanted to say my friend had it a few years ago now, she had the fluid drained and she lives a perfectly normal life no different than before she had it.. just wanted to tell you that
hope everything goes ok xx