What causes a baby to have water in its head

Question

What causes a baby to have water in its head

Answer 1

sometimes babies that have too much fluid need shunts to divert some of the extra out of the head to prevent problems; look up hydrocephalus on google

Answer 2

Shaken Baby Syndrome is one cause.

Answer 3

Hydrocephalus as it is called can be congenital, meaning it is present at birth or can be acquired, meaning it can happen to anyone at any time. My daughter who was born last month was born with hydrocephalus and received a VP Shunt 4 days after birth. She was delivered via C Section because we knew she would have an enlarged head. Hers is speculated to be caused by Spina Bifida occulta, which is a malformation in the spinal column (not necessarily an open spine) where she is missing vertabrae in her tailbone region. This caused the spinal cord to become tethered to the bone and thus hindering the normal process of circulation of CSF (spinal fluid). Her prognosis is unknown and she will have many visits to specialists for quite some time. Acquired Hydrocephalus can occur after head trauma. There are cases of adults being diagnosed with hydrocephalus with no known cause. It does not always cause mental deficits, it depends on the amount of pressure to the surrounding brain tissue and the flow rate of the shunt and the ability of the brain to "bounce back". We are watching our daughter closely.

For the most part, the cause of congenital hydrocephalus is unknown. The most common treatment is shunt placement.  

Answer 4

Hydrocephalus (pronunciation IPA: /ˌhaɪˌdɹoʊˈsɛfələs/) is a term derived from the Greek words "hydro" meaning water, and "cephalus" meaning head, and this condition is sometimes known as "water on the brain". People with this condition have abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head, convulsion, and mental disability