What is hydrocephalus? Hydrocephalus is an enlargement of the ventricular system due to an imbalance between the production and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid. The most common cause is congenital narrowing or occlusion of the midbrain aqueduct. The infant’s head grows in size over the first few weeks or months of life, and the fontanel enlarges and bulges, resulting in a change in the shape of the head, which is disproportionate to the face, with a large head, a small face, a protruding forehead, and a small, pointy lower jaw. In severe cases, the child’s eyes may show the “sunset sign”. Parents can measure the circumference of the head by taking the peripheral length between the forehead brow and the occipital bulge. If the head circumference increases more than 2 cm in any month of the first year of life, hydrocephalus should be highly suspected, but it must be differentiated from increased intracranial pressure caused by intracranial tumors, which often present with localized signs. x-ray craniograms show a thinning of the skull and widening of the bony seams. In older children, there is separation of the cranial sutures and increased gyrus pressure. Cranial CT examination can rapidly diagnose the presence of hydrocephalus, and MRI examination is currently the most ideal diagnostic method, so that the etiology and pathological state of hydrocephalus can be seen at a glance. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt is feasible after diagnosis, and the prognosis of early surgery is good. What is spina bifida? Spina bifida is an incomplete closure of the neural tube due to a disorder of mesodermal development during the embryonic period. It is generally referred to as dominant spina bifida when the contents of the spinal canal are bulging out. The opposite is called occult spina bifida. The three types of dominant spina bifida can be categorized as follows: 1. Spinal bulge. 2, Spinal cord spinal bulge. 3. Spinal cord ectropion. The most common type of spina bifida is spondylolisthesis, which is a cystic mass in the midline of the back of the child after birth, and can also be characterized by hyperpigmentation, skin depressions, or clusters of hairs. Spina bifida is mostly combined with spinal cord embolism. Due to the pulling of spinal cord nerves, children may present with clinical symptoms such as poor urinary and bowel control, asymmetry of both lower limbs, and bipedal deformity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can confirm the diagnosis of spinal cord embolism. The only treatment for this disease is surgery, and if the wall of the capsule of dominant spina bifida has been ruptured or is very thin, it is necessary to perform surgery urgently or early, while other cases are better to be operated within one month of birth to prevent the aggravation and development of the lesion. Early diagnosis and treatment have a good prognosis.