Info

When Morgan was born, my wife and I had never heard off hydrocephalus, but now we know quite a bit about hydro. Because of advances in neurosurgery over the past decade, people with hydro can lead normal lives with very few or no lasting problems. If you are curious about hydro, read on and follow some of the links I have provided.

Hydrocephalus, according to a fact sheet produced by the Hydrocephalus Association, is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within cavities called ventricles inside the brain. Hydrocephalus occurs when there is an imbalance between the amount of CSF that is produced and the rate at which it is absorbed. As the CSF builds up, it causes the ventricles to enlarge and the pressure inside the head to increase. Morgan's doctor equated it to a clogged drain. Unfortunately, Roto-Rooter doesn't do work on heads.

In Morgan's case, the hydrocephalus was brought on by a grade 3 intraventricular hemorrhage that occurred when she was born 10 weeks premature. The doctors tried to relieve the pressure with spinal taps, but they were not successful so a shunt was placed in her head to drain the CSF into her abdomen.

If you have any questions about hydrocephalus, try these links:

HYCEPH-L e-mail discussion group. - I highly recommend this group if you have any questions about hydro.
Hydrocephalus Homepage at Massachusetts General Hospital
Stephen Drake's Hydrocephalus Homepage
Hydrocephalus Brochure -