Healthy Brain

Affected Brain

Dandy Walker
Syndrome
What is Dandy Walker Syndrome?

A developmental malformation of the central nervous system

characterized by complete or partial absence of the cerebellar
vermis, the presence of a posterior fossa cyst, and ventriculomegaly
(Kontopoulos et al., 2008).
Dandy Walker Syndrome (DWS) has an estimated incidence of 1/2500
to 1/3500 births from the conclusion that DWS comprises 3% of
hydrocephalus (Love et al., 2011).

Dandy Walker Syndrome is considered to be of sporadic inheritance,

although some cases have been associated with congenital
infection, genetic syndromes, or chromosomal abnormalities.
However, the exact pathophysiologic etiology of this complex
anomaly is not known. (Kontopoulos et al., 2008)
Home Environment and Safety:
Parent or caregiver should 0ffer small, safe, age appropriate toys for
the child to play with to improve fine motor skills, palmar grasp, and
hand-eye coordination. Remove any possible hazardous objects so
the child can have an open space where they can play and move
around safely.

Promotion of Physical and Mental Health:

Allow child to do play activities that promote physical activity, fine
motor skills, and problem solving. Also let the child figure simple
problems out and make various obstacle courses for the child to go
through or put an item in a container so the child has to think and
problem solve in order to get that item out.
References
Kontopoulos, E. V., Quintero, R. A., Salihu, H. M., Bornick, P. W., & Allen, M. H.
(2008). Dandy-Walker syndrome and monochorionic twins: Insight into a
possible etiological mechanism. Journal Of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal
Medicine, 21(11), 839-842. doi:10.1080/14767050802302967
Love, K., Huddleston, L., Olney, P., Wrubel, D., & Visootsak, J. (2011).
Developmental outcomes of Down syndrome and Dandy-Walker
malformation. Journal Of Pediatric Neurology, 9(3), 405-408.