Bangladesh baby’s skull is the size of a football because of excess fluid
- Emon was delivered by C-section with a slightly bigger head than usual
- Over two years it grew so big it now weighs as much as a 1-year-old boy
- Has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus – build up of fluid on the brain
- Left untreated it carries risk of brain damage and developmental issues
Madlen Davies for MailOnline
12
View
comments
A baby boy’s head has swollen to more than three times its normal size due to a medical condition.
Two-year-old Emon, from southern Bangladesh, has a head that weighs 20 lbs (9kg) – the same weight as an average one-year-old boy.
Emon was delivered by Caesarean section with a head that was slightly bigger than usual, but in the past two years it continued to expand.
The huge weight of his head leaves the toddler unable to talk, walk or even move his limbs – meaning his parents have to take care of him constantly.
Scroll down for video
Two-year-old Emon, from southern Bangladesh, has a head that weighs 20 lbs (9kg) – the same weight as an average one-year-old boy
Emon suffers from hydrocephalus – a build up of fluid inside the skull. The condition leaves him with a huge head and unable to talk, walk or even move his limbs – meaning his parents have to take care of him constantly
Desperate to find help for their son they anxiously rushed to nearby villages to see different doctors -but nobody could diagnose what was wrong with him.
They also paid for spiritual treatments for Emon, but nothing worked out and his head kept expanding.
Finally, he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which is caused by a buildup of fluid inside the skull, increasing pressure and causing damage to the brain.
-
From ‘fat blob’ to bodybuilder: Obese man loses 13st after…
Pregnant women ‘should consider moving to the countryside’…
The WORST Dr Pimple Popper video you¿ve ever watched: Woman…
How living near a landfill ‘raises lung cancer risk’:…
The brain and spine are surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is essential for cushioning the organ, providing nutrients and removing waste products.
The organ constantly produces new CSF (about a pint a day), while old fluid is released from the brain and absorbed into the blood vessels.
However, if this process is interrupted, the level of CSF can quickly build-up, placing pressure on the brain.
Doctors have told Emon’s parents if he is taken abroad for foreign treatment, medics could help him. But they say they are too poor to go to another country, so their son’s future is ‘hopeless’
Before he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, Emon’s parents took him to nearby villages to see different doctors and paid for spiritual treatments, but nothing worked out and his head kept expanding
Congenital hydrocephalus, present in babies when they’re born, can be caused by birth defects, such as spina bifida – where an infant’s spine doesn’t develop properly.
It can also occur as a result of an infection the mother develops during pregnancy, such as mumps or rubella (German measles).
If left untreated, it carries the risk of long-term mental and physical disabilities as a result of permanent brain damage.
Doctors have told Emon’s parents if he is taken abroad for foreign treatment, medics could help him.
MailOnline reported on the story of Roona Begum – who was given just months to live before she had even reached her second birthday after her head swelled to three times its normal size
After a series of operations at a hospital in New Delhi, the excess fluid was drained from Roona’ head and her skull was dramatically reduced in size to 58 cm. She is pictured after the last operation
But they say they are too poor to go to another country, so their son’s future is ‘hopeless’.
The news comes after MailOnline reported on the story of Roona Begum -who was given just months to live before she had even reached her second birthday.
She was born with hydrocephalus and her head swelled to the three times its normal size – to a circumference of 94 centimetres (37 inches) – putting pressure on her brain and making it impossible for her to sit upright.
But after a series of operations at a hospital in New Delhi, the excess fluid was drained from her head and her head was dramatically reduced in size to 58 cm.
WHAT IS HYDROCEPHALUS?
Hydrocephalus is a build-up of fluid in the brain – which leads to increased pressure which can cause damage to the tissue. Emon, who has hydrocephalus, is pictured with his father
Hydrocephalus is a build-up of fluid in the brain.
The excess fluid leads to increased pressure on the brain which can cause damage to the brain tissue.
In the past, hydrocephalus was sometimes referred to as ‘water on the brain’ (the word hydrocephalus comes from the Greek words for water and head).
However, the excess fluid is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), not water.
The main symptoms of hydrocephalus are: headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion and problems with vision (for example, blurred or double vision).
Congenital hydrocephalus, present in babies when they’re born, can be caused by birth defects, such as spina bifida – where an infant’s spine doesn’t develop properly.
It can also occur as a result of an infection the mother develops during pregnancy, such as mumps or rubella (German measles).
If left untreated, it carries the risk of long-term mental and physical disabilities as a result of permanent brain damage.
The key treatment for hydrocephalus is a shunt.
This is a thin tube implanted in the brain to drain away the excess CSF to another part of the body (often the abdominal cavity, the space around the bowel) where it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Source: NHS Choices
Share or comment on this article
-
Chewbacca mom and James Corden go to work
-
Tense Mesa police standoff in the shooting of Daniel Shaver
-
Monster great white shark breaches metres from divers in…
-
Is Hillary protecting women? Trump asks in campaign video
-
How It’s Made reveals the secret to creating Pringles
-
Lad hilariously sabotages date as girl texts throughout…
-
Heart-stopping moment pair of lions lick water from tent
-
Bearded guy in speedos shows off his awesome dance moves
-
Maria Elena Salinas booed at commencement for Trump…
-
Driver takes out cops and own passenger as she flees
-
12-year-old girl dies in tragic rodeo accident
-
China unveils hoverbus that drives over the top of other…
-
Bill Cosby WILL STAND trial on sex assault charges after…
-
EXCLUSIVE: Sex for contracts, pressure to have cosmetic…
-
EXCLUSIVE: On-set tantrums, ‘p***ing off’ sponsors and…
-
Bill O’Reilly suing ex-wife for $10MILLION claiming she…
-
Inside New York’s polyamorous community headed by a real…
-
EXCLUSIVE: Women’s basketball star finds love with hometown…
-
Police release chilling bodycam footage of the moments…
-
EXCLUSIVE: ‘The least sexist boss I ever had’: What Trump…
-
Millionaire who has been tried FOUR TIMES for the murder of…
-
Albuquerque Trump demo erupts in violence: Protesters clash…
-
Haunting last moments of Texas schoolboy, 11, are caught on…
-
100 French police raid Google’s Paris headquarters as part…
Comments (12)
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now