Patient's question:
Recently I haven't been feeling well, and have noticed that my fontanelle is bulging. Is this situation serious? Could it be pediatric hydrocephalus? What should I eat?Doctor's answer:
The clinical manifestations of hydrocephalus in infants and young children are primarily characterized by rapid and progressive enlargement of the head within weeks or months after birth (normal infants have an average increase of 1.2–1.3 cm in head circumference (occipitofrontal) per month starting from 6 months, while this condition can cause a rapid increase 2–3 times faster). The head appears round, with a bulging forehead, an enlarged and bulging anterior fontanelle, open sutures, skull deformation, a "pot sound" upon percussion, sparse hair, dilated veins in the temporal and frontal regions, downward rotation of the eyes, exposure of the upper sclera often presenting a "sunken-eye" appearance, lethargy, inability to lift the head, and in severe cases, associated with brain dysfunction, such as epilepsy, vomiting, convulsions, strabismus, nystagmus, language disorders, limb paralysis, ataxia, difficulty walking, and intellectual developmental delays. Hydrocephalus treatment is non-surgical treatment is suitable for early stages or milder conditions.