How is Hydrocephalus treated?
There is no known way to prevent or cure hydrocephalus. The only way that it can be treated is with a shunting device which is inserted in the operating room. A shunt is simply a tube, which helps move the extra CSF from the spaces in the brain into the abdomen, where it returns and is absorbed into the bloodstream. There is a valve to control the drainage and prevent backflow. The upper end goes in a ventricle of the brain and the lower end is placed either into the heart (ventriculo-atrial) or into the abdomen (ventriculo-peritoneal). This whole tube is inside the body. Will my baby have any other birth defects? Most of the babies born with hydrocephalus do not have any other birth defects. Hydrocephalus is sometimes a part of other neurological conditions and congenital problems like neural tube defects. Some babies could have defects like an opening between the trachea and the esophagus (tracheoesophageal fistula) or problems with the urinary or cardiac systems. Your Maternal-Fetal
