What does the doctor do when he suspects that a child has hydrocephalus ?

Vp shunt: When a newborn is diagnosed with congenital hydrocephalus, a shunt usually is surgically inserted in the brain to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid (csf). Typically, one end of the shunt is placed in the ventricles in the brain and then is threaded out of the brain just below the skin under the scalp. Continuing under the skin, it goes behind the ear, down the neck, into another part of the body.

CT/MRI commonly: Depends on the age. The suspicion may arise from the child's head circumference measurements increasing, or if the child has some sort of arrested neurologic development. Usually, a ct scan of the head is performed, if not an MRI of the head. Consultation with a pediatric neurosurgeon is common. Sometimes a drainage tube, or shunt, is required.