Specific language deficiencies in children with early onset hydrocephalus

Specific language abilities of children with early onset hydrocephalus were compared to nonhydrocephalic comparison groups. Ninety children, aged 5 to 7 years, composed six subject groups: three groups having a history of hydrocephalus due to spina bifida, prematurity-intraventricular hemorrhage, or aqueductal stenosis; and three comparison groups of children with spina bifida who had never been shunted, premature children with no hydrocephalus, and normal controls. Group performance scores were compared on measures of phonological awareness, semantics, fluency, and word retrieval. Children with hydrocephalus performed below their peers on all measures. These results indicate that early onset hydrocephalus has a substantial adverse impact on the development of a wide range of specific language abilities.