Which management intervention is commonly used to address hydrocephalus in spina bifida?

• A. Antibiotics
• B. Ventricular shunts
• C. Fetal surgery
• D. Anticoagulation

Answer: (B)

Hydrocephalus in spina bifida is treated by diverting excess CSF to relieve intracranial pressure. The standard intervention is a ventricular shunt, usually placing a ventriculoperitoneal shunt that channels CSF from the brain’s ventricles to the peritoneal cavity. This directly addresses the buildup of fluid that can impair brain development and function.

Antibiotics don’t fix CSF buildup—they target infection, not hydrocephalus. Fetal surgery repairs the spinal defect before birth and can influence hindbrain crowding, but it’s not a direct, routine treatment for hydrocephalus itself. Anticoagulation has no role in managing CSF drainage or intracranial pressure in this context.