VP Shunt Types: Valves and Programmable Shunts
VP shunt types explained – VP, VA and ventriculopleural shunts, fixed versus programmable valves, and what the research says about outcomes.
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus — commonly called “water on the brain” — is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid builds up inside the brain’s ventricles, causing pressure that can affect brain development, movement, cognition and behaviour. It affects around 1 in every 500 children, making it one of the most common serious neurological conditions in childhood.
This section of Brain Care Path covers everything families need to understand about hydrocephalus: what causes it, how it is diagnosed, what a VP shunt or endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) involves, and what life looks like after treatment. You will find articles written in plain language, medically reviewed by practising neurologists, covering topics from early warning signs in babies and toddlers to shunt revision surgery, long-term cognitive effects, school support, and daily life management.
Whether your child has just been diagnosed or has been living with hydrocephalus for years, the articles here are written by a parent who has walked this road — and reviewed by specialists who understand the clinical picture. Use the articles below to find answers, ask better questions at your next appointment, and feel less alone in the journey.
Shunt Revision Surgery: What Parents Should Expect
Shunt revision surgery explained for parents – why it happens, what the operation involves, recovery, and how to tell whether it has worked.
Hydrocephalus Headaches: What the Pattern Tells You
Hydrocephalus headaches explained – why position matters, what overdrainage feels like, shunt headache symptoms, and when to seek urgent care.
Hydrocephalus and Nutrition: What Your Child’s Brain Needs to Recover
The nutritionist arrived on the fourth day. She pulled a plastic chair beside my son’s hospital bed and asked me what he had eaten that week. Then she said something I was not expecting: the brain heals differently when it is well-nourished.
Hydrocephalus CT Scan and MRI: What the Images Show
Hydrocephalus CT scan and MRI explained for families – which scan is used when, what enlarged ventricles look like, and what the numbers mean.
Communicating Hydrocephalus: Causes and Treatment
Communicating hydrocephalus explained for families – what causes it, how it differs from non-communicating hydrocephalus, and how it is treated.
Growing Up With Hydrocephalus: A Real Guide for Teenagers and Their Families
Nobody prepares you for the teenager conversation. When your child is a toddler in rehabilitation, your entire focus is the immediate. The next session. The next milestone. You do not think about the day they will sit an exam and find that the questions they understood in class have somehow scattered by the time the paper is in front of them.
Hydrocephalus Eye Symptoms: Warning Signs in Children
Hydrocephalus eye symptoms explained – the setting sun sign, pupil changes, squint and blurred vision, and which changes need same-day care.
Hydrocephalus Treatment Without Surgery: The Evidence
Hydrocephalus treatment without surgery – what medication can and cannot do, when monitoring is safe, and when surgery becomes necessary.
Post-Infectious Hydrocephalus: Causes, Treatment, and What Recovery Looks Like
The infection was the first crisis. Everyone focused on it. But infection in the brain does not leave cleanly. It leaves something behind — an inflammation that changed the drainage architecture of his brain. The infection became controlled. The hydrocephalus it created did not resolve by itself.