Summary

Patients with congenital or acquired hydrocephalus whose survival beyond infancy was not expected in the past, are now reaching childbearing age. Extracranial shunt techniques continue to improve, giving a new dimension to the problem of managing pregnant patients. Newly diagnosed hydrocephalus is much more common in children than in adults. The pregnancy of a woman with an extracranial or cerebroespinal shunt differs from that of a normal pregnancy, primarily during the third trimester. The areas of concern are shunt functioning, mode of delivery and risk of shunt infection.