During a physical exam, healthcare professionals will look for different things depending on the age of the person who is suspected of having hydrocephalus.
- Premature infants
—check the head for swelling, and check overall muscle tone.
- Full-term infant
—check the head for swelling, and also check the eyes and reflexes.
- Children
—check to see whether the child is reaching developmental goals including:
- Physical milestones such as smiling, crawling, walking, and rolling over.
- Mental milestones such as speaking, school performance, memory, and personality changes.
- Check eyes, balance, reflexes, and coordination.
- Adults
—check ability to perform expected functions such as speaking, walking, and memory; as well as for personality changes, eyes, balance, reflexes, and coordination .