What is Hydrocephalus?
Cerebral spinal fluid is the substance that protects the brain and spinal cord. When a child has hydrocephalus, this fluid is not able to flow freely and will build up inside the head causing pressure on the brain.
More common than you might think.
- Affects 1 million Americans
- Diagnosed in people of all ages: from infants to elders
- One to two in every 1,000 babies is born with hydrocephalus
- The most common reason for brain surgery in children
Although it is treatable....
- There is no cure for this chronic condition
- The only known treatment is neurosurgical, which has barely changed since 1952
- It requires 40,000 surgeries per year in the US (one every 15 minutes)
There is still more to do
- Even after treatment, many people face repeated surgeries and diminished quality of life
- Surgerical treatment costs exceed $1 billion per year
- Federal government spends less than $1 million per year on research
80 to 90 percent of children with spina bifida will develop hydrocephalus. However, there are other causes of hydrocephalus including tumors, cysts, viral and bacterial infections and premature births.
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Did you know?
The word hydrocephalus is from the Greek words hydro meaning water and cephalus meaning head.
It is estimated that hydrocephalus affects approximately 1 in every 500 children.
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