We don’t know exactly what causes brain tumours to develop.

The brain contains the structures that direct everything we do, such as seeing, hearing, moving, thinking, and learning. These structures also control our emotions and ability to communicate. If a tumour grows in the brain, it can crowd these structures. This affects the child’s ability to function.

SYMPTOMS

Because of its size, the tumour can also create pressure on the brain. This can cause symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, and nausea.

The situation is different in babies. The bones in their heads have not yet joined together. As a result, these bones can get bigger as the tumour grows. In babies, the only symptom of a tumour may be that the size of their head is bigger than other babies their age.

In general, the signs and symptoms depend on the type of tumour, its location, and its size.

Normal cells are tiny building blocks of the body. Every cell contains genes. Our genes are like a “command centre” that tell our cells what to do.

We know that a cell can become abnormal when genes in cells change or are missing. As a result, the “command centre” doesn’t work properly. Abnormal cells begin to grow. These abnormal cells keep making copies of themselves. As the number of abnormal cells grows, they form a tumour.

We don’t know exactly what causes brain tumours to develop. There is no way to predict that a child will get a tumour. Nobody is to blame if a child develops a tumour.

We do know a few reasons why some cells become abnormal and form a tumour. First, there are certain medical conditions in families. They make a child more likely to have abnormal cells. Second, as a child is developing, things can go wrong with genes by chance. Researchers have also been studying whether environmental factors, such as radiation, food, or chemicals, can change genes.