And as a result there is hydrocephalus, which means that the cavities within the brain, which are called ventricles, are filled with large amounts of cerebrospinal fluid. So those are the three characteristics of the Dandy-Walker Syndrome. But again, we don't know what the origin is. Children with Dandy-Walker Syndrome can have varying degrees of central nervous system abnormality. Depending on the amount of destruction of the brain which has occurred as a result of increased cerebrospinal fluid.
Some children are intellectually normal.
And others can be quite severely retarded. Other abnormalities observed in these children are a direct result of damage to the brain, and vary directly with the extent of damage. It's often identified early in life because some of the signs associated with increased cerebrospinal fluid can include lethargy or sleepiness, nausea or vomiting, or irritability. Those are the types of things that might be seen in a child in its first year of life. In addition, as was the case on the show this evening, because of the increased use of ultrasound during pregnancy, it's often picked up during a very careful evaluation of the fetus in utero, or it can be.