In an infant with hydrocephalus, which of the following is commonly observed?

In an infant with hydrocephalus, which of the following is commonly observed?

• A. A soft, high-pitched cry
• B. Slow weight gain
• C. Tense, bulging fontanels
• D. Hypertonia only in limbs

Answer: (C)

When hydrocephalus raises intracranial pressure in an infant, the skull can respond because the fontanels and sutures are not yet fused. The most characteristic finding is tense, bulging fontanels due to the pressure pushing outward on the soft spots of the skull. Rapid head growth and signs of increased ICP such as irritability and poor feeding often accompany this, reflecting the overall raised pressure inside the skull. Other options are less specific: a high-pitched cry can occur with distress but isn’t the defining sign of hydrocephalus; slow weight gain is nonspecific and not as directly linked to the pressure dynamics; and hypertonia confined to the limbs doesn’t capture the generalized ICP effects seen in infants.

When hydrocephalus raises intracranial pressure in an infant, the skull can respond because the fontanels and sutures are not yet fused. The most characteristic finding is tense, bulging fontanels due to the pressure pushing outward on the soft spots of the skull. Rapid head growth and signs of increased ICP such as irritability and poor feeding often accompany this, reflecting the overall raised pressure inside the skull. Other options are less specific: a high-pitched cry can occur with distress but isn’t the defining sign of hydrocephalus; slow weight gain is nonspecific and not as directly linked to the pressure dynamics; and hypertonia confined to the limbs doesn’t capture the generalized ICP effects seen in infants.