Hydrocephalus Awareness Month Facts

Today is day one of Hydrocephalus Awareness Month, so I thought for the first day I would share some facts. It's important that I share these facts with all of you, so you can read and know what Hydrocephalus is, and what people like myself go through. I also hope that as you read them, you will learn something not just from today, but every day. I'm helping spread awareness by sharing these types of posts with you, so that you too can be educated and learn something new each day. I can't wait to share more tomorrow but until then, please enjoy these eight facts I've shared with you today. September is Hydrocephalus Awareness Month and It Matters. I hope that if you learn something new each day, then you'll help by just sharing a little information of what you learned with others that you know, so that they too can be educated on what people are living with as well.

1. Approximately 48% of all shunting procedures performed in 2003 were for shunt malfunction and an additional 12% were related to shunt infection.
2. About 60,000 to 80,000 diagnoses of hydrocephalus are made each year.
3. An estimated 50 percent of shunts fail within the first two years.
4. The total cost of shunt surgeries in the U.S. exceeds $2 billion per year and this does not include the cost of any rehabilitative therapies or educational accommodations,
5. Hydrocephalus is the most common reason for brain surgery in children.
6. One to two of every 1,000 babies are born with hydrocephalus.
7. 40,000 hydrocephalus operations are performed annually. That's one every 15 minutes.
8. Approximately 1,600 Infants Are Diagnosed With Post Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus Each Year.