Objective: to evaluate the diagnosis, characteristics of pregnancy, maternal complications and perinatal outcome in cases of congenital hydrocephalus, and to associate them with pregnancy and delivery variables. Methods: 116 pregnancies with this diagnosis were evaluated before or after delivery, 112 of them occurring at the Maternity ward of CAISM/UNICAMP during the period between 1986 and 1995. For perinatal variables, complete data of 82 newborns were used. For data analysis, distributions and means were calculated and c² and Fisher exact tests were applied. Results: generally the diagnosis was made before delivery, confirmed by ultrasound and the delivery was through a cesarean section in cases. Cephalocentesis was performed in 11 cases and complications were more frequent in vaginal delivery than cesarean section. Low Apgar scores were more frequent among newborn babies delivered vaginally. Congenital hydrocephalus was also associated with important neonatal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, with other malformations, and a very low number of children without sequelae. Conclusions: the evaluation of these factors may be of great value for the obstetrician who is following pregnant women with this fetal malformation. This could better support the decisions that, although medical and ethical, should take into account the risk-benefit ratio of measures to be taken.
Hydrocephalus; Prenatal diagnosis; Fetal malformation; Ultrasonography
