Patient's question:
We adopted a child, who was abandoned at birth. The child is quite cute and very smart, with no apparent abnormalities. However, recently the child has been sick frequently. We visited the hospital twice. The first time, the child vomited blood and underwent a examination, which revealed no significant issues. Less than two days later, the child vomited again, and we returned to the hospital for another check-up. The examination showed a small amount of fluid in the child's brain, and it was unclear whether this would affect future development. We are particularly distressed.Doctor's answer:
The treatment of hydrocephalus can be divided into conservative therapy and surgical treatment. Conservative treatment involves maintaining a head-up position, restricting fluid intake, and taking diuretics, which are not very effective. There are several surgical methods available, and the most commonly used in China currently is ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery. This procedure involves placing one end of a silicone tube into the lateral ventricle through surgery, while the other end is placed into the peritoneal cavity. The middle part is buried under the skin and connected to an anti-reflux pump, allowing high-pressure cerebrospinal fluid from the cranial cavity to flow into the peritoneal cavity. The peritoneum then absorbs the cerebrospinal fluid, reducing intraventricular pressure and promoting the growth and development of brain cells. The development of brain tissue continues rapidly after birth. At birth, the brain weighs 350g, and by the age of one, it weighs 900g. After one year, the rate of weight gain slows down, reaching an adult brain weight of 1.5kg. Therefore, when hydrocephalus is detected in children, surgical intervention should be performed as early as possible. For some patients, postoperative motor and cognitive functions may return to normal levels.