Paediatric neurosurgery includes the evaluation, diagnosis, operative and non-operative treatment, critical care and rehabilitation of children with disorders of the nervous system. If a child has problems involving the head, spine, or nervous system, then a paediatric neurosurgeon is the specialist with the experience and qualifications to treat the child.
The neurological problems treated by paediatric neurosurgeons are quite different from those seen by an adult or general neurosurgeons. Paediatric neurosurgical problems are often present for life and children with nervous system problems require ongoing and close follow-up throughout childhood and adolescence. The most common diseases are deformities of the head or of the spine, problems and injuries of the brain, spine or nerves or birth injury or defect.