What are the signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus?
The most obvious sign of hydrocephalus in infants is abnormal enlargement of the baby’s head. The soft spot on the head may be full, tight, or bulging, and the scalp may appear thin and shiny, with obvious veins. Other symptoms to watch for include vomiting, sleepiness, irritability, seizures, and downward deviation of the baby’s eyes (called “sunsetting sign”). Older children, whose brains are more formed, may show additional signs and symptoms of increased pressure in the brainincluding headaches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes blurred or double vision. The child may have trouble with balance, walking, or talking. He may also show a change in personality and have trouble concentrating, remembering things, or even staying awake. How is hydrocephalus treated? The treatment for hydrocephalus is placement of a shunt (a flexible tube) in the child’s CSF system. The shunt carries the extra accumulated CSF from the ventricle of the brain to other areas of the body.
