WATER AND THE BRAIN DON'T MIX

When people await the arrival of a child into the world, there is an automatic hope and expectation that everything will be okay and the child will be healthy without heart problems, physical malformations and normal brain function.

Unfortunately, sometimes a child can develop excessive fluid in their brain, known as HYDROCEPHALUS. 1 in every 1,000 develop this disorder. Most often occuring in children, it can also develop in adults and elderly people.

Normally, a fluid known as Cerebrospinal Fluid circulates throughout the brain, outside of the brain and the spinal canal, then absorbed into the circulatory system. Sometimes something can go awry, causing a blockage of the fluid or production of more than there should be, putting pressure on the child's brain and forcing it against the skull, damaging or destroying tissues.

Symptoms depend on the cause, age it develops, and the degree of damage to brain tissues. In an infant the fluid collects in the central nervous system, which causes the soft spot on their head to bulge and their head to become larger. Since the skull bones have not grown together, the head is allowed to become larger. However, once a child becomes 5 years old and the bones become fused together, expansion of the skull is made impossible.

Some of the reasons why Hydrocephalus develops includes...

· Congenital defects · Central nervous system tumours · An infection inside the uterus during pregnancy · Infections of the central nervous system, like encephalitis or meningitis · Birthing injuries · Trauma before or after birth · Myelomeningocele, a condition where the spinal column does not completely close

For older children, the reasons can include...

· A history of developmental or congenital defects · Tumours or lesions of the brain or spinal cord · Trauma or bleeding anywhere in the brain

Loss of any or all brain function in an area of the brain affected by Hydrocephalus is the unfortunate consequence.

Normal pressure Hydrocephalus can be treated or reversed, and accounts for 5% of all cases of dementia. Occuring at any age, its onset is gradual and happens in 1 out of every 100,000 people.

Normal pressure Hydrocephalus can happen for no specified reason, or resulting from any condition where the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is blocked. The fluid is produced normally but not reabsorbed, so ventricles of the brain expand to allow the extra fluid, and as a result, levels of fluid remain normal. Therefore, brain tissues are damaged or destroyed. If there is an underlying disorder, then it can be reversed or corrected, however if there is no underlying cause, then the disorder progresses.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic