Neurosurgeon counsels pregnant women on hydrocephalus in babies

Idowu made the call on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.


The neurosurgeon said that congenital diseases had the tendency to develop in unborn babies once there was a deficiency of folic acid in an expectant mother.

Hydrocephalus is an acquired condition where there is an obstruction in the drainage of brain water.


It is a condition whereby there is a buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling. It also means "water on the brain."


Idowu said: “This fluid is called the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF. It surrounds the brain and spinal cord, and helps cushion the brain.

“It compresses the brain and the patient starts to lose his or her functions.”

 

``The congenital which forms the bulk of the whole, occurs in-utero by various causes, and one of them is patients have what they call folic acid deficiency in the mother, especially parents that had a deficiency of folic acid in the first few weeks of conception.

 
“Which means that a patient, by the time they know that they are pregnant, if the deficiency is there, the disease has already developed and it’s too late for most parents, and so, that is why actually, ante-natal care should start before pregnancy.

“There are other causes also in-utero with the mother having an infection, while she is pregnant and also can cause hydrocephalus.”

 
The surgeon said though, the prevalence of the condition in the country was not known, because of poor data collection, yet it was commonly recorded at the hospitals.


``Clinically, there is no week that will pass without having to see two to three patients with hydrocephalus in my practice referred from Lagos and outside the state. ``


Idowu said that the disease did not only occur during pregnancy and infancy, but could also occur in the young adults and in the elderly.


According to him, the acquired hydrocephalus in young adults and the elderly can present memory impairment, difficulty in walking and urinating on themselves.


``It may also occur in people who have had stroke and because they bled into the brain and the pathway that carries brain water is blocked, then, they can also develop hydrocephalus.``


Idowu said that though, the disease was treatable, awareness was still very low in the country, adding that people with the condition always consulted the doctor too late.

 
``The only problem is that people consult the doctor too late in this part of the world.


“Sometimes, they consult the doctor after they go blind; so, sometimes they may not be able to recover their eyesight and even the body functions which they may have lost along the line; they may not be able to regain everything because of late presentation.


``Awareness is a major problem; treatment also, availability of specialist, then, the cost of treatment is generally also beyond the reach of most Nigerians. ``

``Any lady in the child bearing age who wants to get pregnant should plan for it, and see a doctor, and to ensure that they are on folic acid prior to meeting any man.


“A patient that is pregnant should start antenatal care and stay in a proper hospital. They should avoid any local herbs. No drugs should be taken in pregnancy without the consent of the doctor.”