Hydrocephalus in children and all about the manifestation and treatment of disease

Hydrocephalus of the brain is an increase in the volume of the ventricles of the brain caused by a large amount of cerebrospinal fluid. In the people this disease is familiar, like "dropsy of the brain."

In the brain of the child there are 4 ventricles with cerebrospinal fluid( cerebrospinal fluid), which interact with each other. If the cerebrospinal fluid is too much, it accumulates in the ventricles of the brain, and the more it is, the more pronounced the disease, the more the brain and the entire body of the child suffer. This condition is called hydrocephalus.

Types of hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus in children, depending on where the cerebrospinal fluid accumulates, is of several kinds:

• external hydrocephalus in children( fluid accumulation occurs under the brain membranes);
• internal hydrocephalus in children( fluid accumulation occurs in the ventricles of the brain);
• mixed hydrocephalus in children( fluid accumulation occurs under both the membranes and in the ventricles).

Symptomatology of the disease

The main sign of the presence of hydrocephalus in a child under two years is a rapid head growth. Since the seams of the child's skull are not fused, the bones unobstructedly move apart from the brain that grows in the volume. Most often, the reason for the increase in the circumference of the head is hydrocephalus in children. The open fontanel can also testify about it and its bulging out. Because of the increase in the volume of the head, the bones of the skull become thin, so the forehead begins to grow and protrude, the venous pattern underlies the skin of the face and forehead. With the progression of the disease, the tone of the limbs increases.

The child begins to lag behind in development:

• does not keep the head in a certain period;
• does not sit down and does not try to get up on schedule.

A child suffering from hydrocephalus is sluggish, not interested in the surrounding world, often crying. Doctors believe that the child often experiences a headache with this disease.

Signs of hydrocephalus in children older than two years

The most important symptom in hydrocephalus in a child over two years of age is the presence of frequent headaches, even with nausea and vomiting, especially in the morning and at night. Similarly, the child often pathologically changes the fundus, which can reveal a doctor-oculist, epileptic convulsions, urinary incontinence, increased tone of the limbs, premature puberty, outstripping or stunting, obesity.

These symptoms should be treated with increased attention so as not to miss the time. Call a neurologist for the necessary examinations to find out the reasons. The faster the disease is detected, the easier it is to treat it.

Causes of

disease Hydrocephalus in fetus

Nowadays modern medicine is able to detect brain hydrocephalus in the fetus as early as 16-20 weeks. The cause of hydrocephalus may be in the presence of hidden infections in a woman. To avoid this, you need to carefully check your health, take certain tests and conduct a thorough treatment before pregnancy.

The manifestation of a disease in newborns

Most often, hydrocephalus in newborns occurs with congenital malformations of the brain or spinal cord, as well as in the presence of intrauterine infections. It happens that the cause of this disease may be birth trauma, especially in premature infants.

Hydrocephalus in children older than one year

The causes of hydrocephalus development in children at this age may be: encephalitis, meningitis, malformations of the vessels in the brain, infectious diseases, genetic disorders, traumatic brain injury.

Diagnosis and treatment therapy

In order to identify hydrocephalus, a number of examinations are necessary: ​​

• examination of the fundus in the oculist;
• neurosonography;
• computed tomography;
• magnetic resonance imaging.

Brain ultrasound is done to children who are not older than two years.

If the completed examinations have confirmed the diagnosis, you urgently need to start treatment. First of all, consult with a neurosurgeon physician, he is able to assess the course of the disease and determine the method of treatment.

If the disease does not progress, and there are no obvious signs of increased pressure, the patient is under the supervision of a neurosurgeon physician with frequent examinations and a series of examinations, as well as Diacarb( a drug that reduces the production of cerebrospinal fluid).

Very often, with hydrocephalus of the brain, an operation of ventriculo-peritoneal bypass surgery is prescribed. In this operation, fluid from the ventricles enters other cavities, for example, the abdominal cavity, from which it is later removed from the body.

It is necessary to make a decision about the operation in a timely manner, it is not necessary to delay, it will save his life, and the child's head will not become less after the operation, it will simply stop increasing.

Such operations saved a huge number of children's lives, most of which returned to normal life.

Possible consequences of

Parents should be very careful about their child, with increased loyalty and patience. After all, the baby is not easy to exist in this world, and even with health problems.

The most important consequence of hydrocephalus in a child is a delay in psychomotor development. Such a child should be treated with understanding, help in development, it is desirable to study and develop with it in addition.

Be attentive, patient and caring for your children. In time, heal so that the child can live a full life for many years! Children are our happiness and future, for them we live!