What to do about congenital skull defects in children

Patients with congenital cranial defects with large cranial defects require repair of the cranial defect using restorative materials to protect the brain tissue. Usually, congenital cranial defects occur when the child’s meninges bulge and prevent the skull from closing. As the skull and brain develop, defects form in areas that have not closed up. In the case of larger defects, repair surgery is required and can be performed using artificial materials, the most commonly used material being peek material repair material. Along with cranial repair, the cause of the defect needs to be addressed. If the patient has bulging meninges, the bulging meninges and brain tissue usually need to be pressed back to the brain, after which the skull defect usually needs to be treated surgically, and a CT examination of the brain can be performed first, followed by defect repair surgery. The surgery mainly involves suturing the bulging brain tissue to the brain and the material, and repairing the skull defect so that the brain tissue can be protected. After surgery, most patients are able to recover well.