Prevalence of congenital hydrocephalus in the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan: A hospital-based study

Abstract

Background: Congenital hydrocephalus, an important cause of neurologic morbidity and mortality in children, is a medical condition characterized by an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. It can be caused by abnormal brain development, obstruction of the cerebral aqueduct flow, Chiari malformations, and Dandy-Walker malformation. The prevalence of congenital hydrocephalus is 2.2 to 18 per 10,000 live births. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of congenital hydrocephalus among livebirths in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (HKJ). Methods: Clinical data were collected from medical records of all livebirths with congenital hydrocephalus born at Al Bashir Hospital, Amman/The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in 2004-2005 and 2008-2011. Descriptive analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS 20). Results: The prevalence of hydrocephalus was 0.092% with a relative predominance among males. Conclusion: The study concluded that the prevalence of congenital hydrocephalus is comparable to that of developed countries. The efforts made by the Ministry of Health seem to have paid off. More research on stillbirths is recommended.