Congenital hydrocephalus: treatment in utero

Congenital hydrocephalus occurs in about 1 in every 1,000 live births. Is is rarely lethal but frequently severely handicapping. It can be diagnosed by ultrasound as early as 20 weeks of gestation. When not accompanied by other serious malformations, it may be amenable to treatment in utero. Experimental treatment by shunting the lateral ventricle to the amnion has been shown to control ventricular enlargement during fetal life. The mental development of treated babies has, however, been disappointing. At this time no in utero treatment of fetal hydrocephalus is being done.