What is Hydrocephalus and how did Dakota get it?

Hydrocephalus is still sometimes referred to as "water on the brain." Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an excess of cerebral spinal fluid accumulates in the cavities of the brain known as "ventricles."

One of the things that Dakota had to deal with due to his prematurity was bleeding on the brain which is known as IVH (Intraventricular Hemorrhage). Sadly this is common among premature babies. He was a few days old when they did a brain CT and noticed that the ventricle were larger then they were supposed to be. So over the next couple of days they did more CTs and an MRI and diagnosed him with Grade III and Grade IV Bleeds.

What are the different grades of intraventricular hemorrhage?

The amount of bleeding varies. IVH is often described in four grades:

Grade 1 - bleeding occurs just in a small area of the ventricles.

Grade 2 - bleeding also occurs inside the ventricles.

Grade 3 - ventricles are enlarged by the blood.

Grade 4 - bleeding into the brain tissues around the ventricles.

Grades 1 and 2 are most common, and often there are no further complications. Grades 3 and 4 are the most serious and may result in long-term brain injury to the baby. Hydrocephalus (too much cerebral spinal fluid in the brain) may develop after severe IVH.

We were devastated. When they first started telling us what was going on. I decided to read up on it bad idea at that moment. My hope for him was shattered. We were told the brain damage was so extensive that he will most likely die. And in the slim chance he didn't die he would have diminished capacity to the point of remaining as if an infant the rest of his life. No walking. No talking. Being fed through a tube. Possibly breathing through one as well.  At this point we were given one of many he may not make it speeches. Its up to you but... It may be getting to be that time where we make a decision to maybe take him off of life support and let him go. I've never felt so shattered in my life. You want me to make a choice of life or death. This was the first time I got mad at God as well. How could he. I wanted my baby yo live.  

Well i knew with strong conviction that i was going to give him every chance to fight! We would love him no matter what! He survived this long. We didn't give up on him. We let him fight in his battle for life. 

His head circumference kept getting bigger and bigger. So eventually they had to intervene. He started out with what they called a reservoir. It was placed just under the skin on his head with a tube on one end place in the ventricle to allow them to pull off with a needle extra fluid that had built up. They did this several times a week at first. They hoped this would kick start his brain to start absorbing it better, but it would build back up. So eventually they decided to put in a VP shunt that would drain the fluid from his brain down to stomach to be absorbed there.