History

Background: Congenital hydrocephalus is a type of hydrocephalus that a child is born with, and this hydrocephalus can develop with age in children and adults as well. Congenital hydrocephalus may occur due to: Complex interactions between genetic factors and environmental factors during fetal development during pregnancy. The signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus vary somewhat with age. In newborns (0 to 2 months) Abnormal head growth, thinning of the scalp and veins in the head becoming more prominent, vomiting, restlessness, eyes fixed downward (sign of sunset) or seizures, or inability to communicate. In children (2 months and over) Abnormal head growth, headache, nausea, vomiting, fever, double vision, insomnia, decline in the ability to speak or walk, communication disturbance, loss of sensory and motor functions, seizures, and vision disturbances may be encountered. Older children may have difficulty waking up or staying awake. Objective: Predicting the presence of alpha-fetoprotein in the cerebrospinal fluid of newborns and considering it as a marker for the detection of hydrocephalus. Method: This study was conducted at neuro surgical department in Ghazi Al-Hariri Hospital in the Medical City of Baghdad and Al-Mansour pediatric hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. from November 2022 to March 2023. It included 80 Iraqi patients with congenital hydrocephalus (40 female samples and the same number of males ). Their age range from (0– 120 ) days. The part that deals with the practical aspect of the study were accomplished at the laboratory of the Ghazi AL-Hariri and Al-Mansour pediatric hospitals .Results: The results showed a highly significant increases (p<0.001) in AFP in CSF compared with the AFP in plasma specimen. While a significant decreases (p<0.001) are presented in T.protein, Glucose, and WBCs count in CSF in comparison with the plasma levels. Conclusion : The presence of alpha-fetoprotein in the cerebrospinal fluid of congenital hydrocephalus and its correlation with glucose , total protein and WBC