Supplement could prevent hydrocephalus

by Deborah Condon Copyright © 2009.
A vitamin supplement taken by women while they are pregnant could prevent one of the most common birth brain defects – hydrocephalus.Sometimes referred to as ‘water on the brain’, hydrocephalus occurs when there is an abnormal build-up of fluid within the chambers of the brain. This fluid is cerebrospinal fluid, a clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This build-up can cause harmful pressure on the tissues of the brain. The condition affects around one in every 1,000 babies born.Now, in laboratory tests, scientists from the University of Manchester and Lancaster University in the UK have shown that administering a combination of folate vitamins (tetrahydrofolate and folinic acid) dramatically reduces the risk of the condition.“The fluid build-up – usually caused by a blockage in the fluid’s pathway due to trauma, infection or abnormal development – is associated with an increase in the pressure on the brain resulting in brain damage. When this happens, doctors can relieve this pressure only by performing surgery,” explained lead researcher, Dr Jaleel Miyan of the University of Manchester.
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