Intracranial pressure rises when the skull refuses to yield to the growing brain, potentially damaging the baby's brain, vision, hearing, speech and even the ability to breathe. At the MCG Children's Medical Center, a diverse team of specialists looks after the compelling and complex needs of these children. The assemblage includes pediatric neurosurgery, pediatric otolaryngology, pediatric ophthalmology, pediatric radiology, pediatric nutrition, child psychiatry, neonatology, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, pediatric critical care, speech pathology, audiology and genetics counseling. Erika Doster, physician assistant, is team coordinator and an accessible contact for families and referring physicians. Team members gather on the third Wednesday of each month, see the children and their parents individually, then collectively devise a treatment plan.
Parents come that day with just as many questions.
So instead of having two pieces of bone which have the ability to move relative to each other, they essentially become one bone. The eventual goal is for the suture to become bone, but for these children, the goal is reached before the game is over. If you examine the adult skull, you can see the fine lines where the sutures turned to bone. Its very origin also is different. Skull bone is made by the dura, the multi-layered protective covering of the brain that resembles supple leather.