Hi my son has just turned 4. For the past 6 weeks he hasnt been his usual happy confident self. He is pale and looks washout all the time.. His appetite is not as good as it is normaly and he is always complaining of being tiered.  He has a VP shunt.. Can it be normal to be unwell for such a long time? His main complaint is a pain in his stomach..regards Lauren
Hi Lauren ! I would like to know if your son is getting fever either low or high grade in between. The symptoms you have mentioned are pointing to infection in the course of the shunt. It could be the peritoneal cavity (abdominal cavity). I would suggest you to contact your doctor/pediatrician at the earliest, who may apart from clinically examining him suggest some blood tests for your son to see if there are any features of infection. I hope this should help you in dealing with the situation. Good luck.