[Assessment of the mental and physical development of children subjected to surgery for hydrocephalus during infancy and early childhood].

Some psychoneurological problems related to the operative treatment of hydrocephalus at an early age are discussed. Under a continual observation for a period of 2 years were kept 28 children-hydrocephals who had undergone ventriculoatriostomy. Once a month they were subjected to a psychoneurological examination according to a program described in the article. During each investigation the dynamics of the psychophysiological development of the children was analyzed and the degree of their mental and physical progress determined. On expiration of 22 months 32 per cent of the children were found to be fully in keeping with the average development standards, this number remaining stable during the last 5-6 months. The author attempts to justify the need for a continuous psycho-neurological control over such surgical patients, as well as the necessity to follow a definitely set system of screening such patients for surgery, well-based on pertinent psycho-neurological criteria.