Previous experiments inducing leakage of embryonic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) suggest the necessity of intraventricular CSF pressure (PCSF) for brain morphogenesis. Nevertheless, how embryonic PCSFoccurs is unclear, especiallyin utero. Using a Landis water manometer, we measured PCSFin fetal mice isolated from the amniotic cavity (PCSF-ISO). At embryonic day (E) 13, PCSF-ISOwas 82.7 Pa. Intraventricular injections of ≥2 μl of saline elevated PCSF-ISOby ∼30%. Intraventricularly injecting inhibitors of CSF secretion decreased PCSF-ISOby ∼30%. Shh-mediated cerebral-wall expansion and the resulting ventricular narrowing did not significantly increase PCSF-ISO. Removal of the brain-surrounding contractile tissues decreased PCSF-ISOby 80-90%. The intraamniotic pressure measuredin utero(PAF-IU) was 1030.7 Pa. Our direct measurement revealed that the PCSFin utero(PCSF-IU) was 1076.4 Pa, confirming the susceptibility of PCSFto external factors. Subsequent PCSFmeasurements under hydrostatic pressure loading suggested that PCSF-IU= PCSF-ISO+ PAF-IU, a relationship further used to estimate PCSF-IUat other ages when direct measurement was not possible. The estimated PCSF-IUdecreased almost constantly from E10 to E16 (2000 ➔ 500 Pa).