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Is Congenital Hydrocephalus Completly Treatable?
my baby had congenital hydrocephalus and was done with VP Shunt surgery at the age of 26 days, at 51 days she admitted to hospital and was diagnosed with meningitis, doctors have advised 21 days of antibiotic therapy, after 10 days CRP is down to 0.7 from 7 earlier and TLC at 16 from 21,still around 11 days left for antibiotics,, now my question is will my baby be fine after 21 days and are there more chances of infection, i fear will my baby be mentally retarded? although she had achieved her milstone of smiling at 56 days and activities appears normal but i m still afraid as my first daughter is autistic
Wed, 10 Sep 2014
Thanks for your query
Congenital hydrocephalus, if diagnosed early and treated early , like your child has been has a good prognosis. A lot depends on the thickness of the brain tissue in the scan done before the operation. THe main problems with having a VP shunt are i) infection ( which your child has had) ii) Tube blockage or breakage (usually seen after a few years, the average life of a shunt tube is about 10 yrs)
Most children 'outgrow' their hydrocephalus by the age of 8 and it is highly unlikely that the child will need a shunt after that, but there are exceptions.
Your fear of 'mental retardation' is a difficult one to answer as many children do not have it but some do have it. What is important is regular monitoring of milestones and if any delay is detected, prompt occupational therapy rehabilitation, stimulation, and other therapy instituted early.
I have treated children with hydrocephalus on shunt who are now in college and tehre are some who have problems. Hope this answers your query
Congenital hydrocephalus, if diagnosed early and treated early , like your child has been has a good prognosis. A lot depends on the thickness of the brain tissue in the scan done before the operation. THe main problems with having a VP shunt are i) infection ( which your child has had) ii) Tube blockage or breakage (usually seen after a few years, the average life of a shunt tube is about 10 yrs)
Most children 'outgrow' their hydrocephalus by the age of 8 and it is highly unlikely that the child will need a shunt after that, but there are exceptions.
Your fear of 'mental retardation' is a difficult one to answer as many children do not have it but some do have it. What is important is regular monitoring of milestones and if any delay is detected, prompt occupational therapy rehabilitation, stimulation, and other therapy instituted early.
I have treated children with hydrocephalus on shunt who are now in college and tehre are some who have problems. Hope this answers your query
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