Hydrocephalus

The extra fluid puts pressure on the brain and can cause brain damage. It's most common in infants and older adults.

 People with hydrocephalus have  Gastrointestinal,muscular problems and learning issues.

today researchers are still finding  a cure and the only thing that can help is a shunt

a shunt is a surgical device that goes into the Brain into the stomach for drainage 

here is more facts that I found at https://www.hydroassoc.org/powerful-facts/

 

1. Hydrocephalus is a life-threatening condition that affects approximately 1 millionAmericans.

2. Anyone, at any age, can develop hydrocephalus.

3. One out of every 770 babies will develop hydrocephalus, making it as common as Down syndrome and more common than spina bifida or brain tumors.

4. There is no way to prevent hydrocephalus and there is no cure. The only known treatment requires brain surgery.

5. Hydrocephalus is the most common reason for brain surgery in children.

6. The most common surgical treatment for hydrocephalus is the implantation of a device called a shunt to drain fluid from the brain.

7. An estimated 50% of shunts in the pediatric population fail within two years of placement and repeated neurosurgical operations are often required.

8. There are approximately 10,000 pediatric hospital admissions for shunt malfunctions each year.

9. Hydrocephalus and a shunt can mean a lifetime of multiple brain surgeries. Dozens of brain surgeries are common and 100 or more is not unheard of.

10. The core technology used to develop the shunt has not changed significantly since the 1950’s.

11. Over 36,000 shunt surgeries are performed each year (one every 15 minutes) and more than half of them represent emergencies.

12. Pediatric hydrocephalus alone accounts for more than 40,000 hospital admissions each year (433,000 hospital days.)