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Children's health

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Original poster

Friend's baby has been hospitalised with fluid in the brain

6 replies

marrakechtea · 28/02/2014 01:28

Hi, my friend's baby was hospitalised in ICU yesterday with fluid in the brain, he is not feeding well, and he has been sent to St George's (she lives in Croydon) where they have a neuro, and they say he will undergo surgery today and do an MRI. Has anyone had any experience with this? Would appreciate any positive feedback, please help me reassure and comfort her. Thanks so much.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 28/02/2014 12:27

No advice sorry but don't want you to go unanswered

Original poster

marrakechtea · 28/02/2014 16:58

Thanks JiltedJohnsJulie...I have heard that if detected early enough, they can treat it...

OP posts:

EyeoftheStorm · 28/02/2014 17:17

DS2 has this due to prematurity. He had bleeds on the brain which blocked the part of the brain which absorbs the fluid. He had an operation at 5 months old to put in a VP shunt and this does the job.

DS2 is 4.5 now and has not had any problems with his shunt. His head grew too quickly as a baby, but he has grown into it and you would never know he has hydrocephalus to look at him now.

Early detection really is best and even though this sounds weird, to a neurosurgeon a VP shunt is another day at the office. They do them all the time.

It is a very, very scary time and I won't minimise what your friend and her family are going through, but I just wanted to say, our experience once the shunt is in place was very smooth. Let me know if you have any other questions, I know how bewildering it all seems.

mymatemax · 28/02/2014 23:56

fluid on the brain is very treatable but will depend on the cause.
There can be a number of causes and in many cases once treated the baby will be completely fine.
Other causes will require long term management and treatment.
It will of course be a very worrying time.
I hope the surgery goes well

Original poster

marrakechtea · 01/03/2014 01:34

Thanks so much Eyeofthestorm and am so happy your DS2 is fine now...

Thanks mymatemax... the op went well...but they still do not know what caused it and are calling it a severe infection..they do not know if it is TB or meningitis or something else so she doesn't know what to think at the moment....

OP posts:

mymatemax · 01/03/2014 17:25

glad it went well, fingers crossed for a good long term outcome.

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