What is Fetal Hydrocephalus?

We are by no means experts, but have read a lot about it. The best place to go online for information that we have found is www.fetalhydrocephalus.com. There is some great information about the condition, research and many stories of families just like us, who have a baby with hydrocephalus. I've stolen their definition of hydrocephalus to use here:

The brain is constantly producing fluid (known as cerebrospinal fluid or CSF) as part of its normal daily routine. Under normal circumstances, this fluid is drained from the brain into the spinal canal and is reabsorbed by the body, keeping the amount in the brain in a constant balance. When normal drainage does not occur, or for some reason the brain is producing too much CSF to be able to drain through normal means, the CSF builds up in the ventricles of the brain and causes pressure. This condition is known as hydrocephalus. The most common form of fetal hydrocephalus is Aqueductal Stenosis. There is a narrow channel which connects the third and fourth ventricles of the brain to allow CSF to drain. This channel is called the Aqueduct of Sylvius. When this aqueduct is blocked, or was never properly formed, the CSF cannot drain properly and this condition is called aqueductal stenosis. Blockage of the aqueduct can be caused by a malformed aqueduct, a tumor, swelling due to infection or intraventricular bleeding. This blockage results in the enlargement of the ventricles. This type is generally not caused by chromosomal abnormalities.

The treatment for fetal hydrocephalus is typically a shunt shortly after birth. Brain tissue is much like a sponge in that it can compress and expand as the pressure changes. The key is that once the shunt is put in and the pressure is relieved you can start to watch how much the brain tissue expands. If it expands to something nearing normal volume then there is an 80% chance of normal or near normal brain function. If the tissue has been severely damaged and does not expand, then the outcome will be severe. There is no way to know in which category your child will be until the shunt is placed.

...and that is the most difficult part of this diagnosis...the necessity to simply "wait and see" with not confirmation of long-term outcomes.