What is hydrocephalus?
Hydrocephalus, otherwise known as 'water on the brain', is a condition which causes cerebrospinal fluid to build up around the brain. Congenital hydrocephalus, when a baby is born with the condition, is usually caused by an illness in the child such as spina bifida, or an illness in the mother during pregnancy, such as mumps or rubella. The illness is usually treated by inserting a 'shunt' into the brain to drain the fluid. Even so, most children with the condition will develop some form of brain damage.