The [[cranial cavity]] is a closed compartment and any breach to this confined space secondary to neurosurgery or trauma cause an imbalance between [[atmospheric pressure]] and [[intracranial pressure]]. As the altitude increases, the [[atmospheric pressure]] decreases and [[hypoxia]] with [[hypercarbia]] is a well-known fact. In children, there is an argument to suggest that hypoxia can contribute to mild increase in intracranial pressure during commercial flights
((Lo Presti A, Weil AG, Ragheb J. Flying with a shunt. J Neurosurg Pediatr.
2015;15(2):223-224.)).