Spina bifida occulta might not be diagnosed until late childhood or adulthood, or might never be diagnosed. During pregnancy there are screening tests prenatal tests to check for spina bifida and other birth defects. Talk with your doctor about any questions or concerns you have about this prenatal testing. Sometimes spina bifida is not diagnosed until after the baby is born because the mother did not receive prenatal care or an ultrasound did not show clear pictures of the affected part of the spine.
Not all people born with spina bifida have the same needs, so treatment will be different for each person. Some people have problems that are more serious than others. People with myelomeningocele and meningocele will need more treatments than people with spina bifida occulta.
To learn more about treatments, visit the Treatments page. We do not know all of the causes of spina bifida. The role that genetics and the environment play in causing spina bifida needs to be studied further. However, we do know that there are ways for women to reduce the risk of having a baby with spina bifida both before and during her pregnancy. If you are pregnant or could get pregnant, use the following tips to help prevent your baby from having spina bifida:.
Because half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, it is important that all women who can become pregnant take mcg of folic acid daily. Spina bifida can range from mild to severe.
Some people may have little to no disability. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. Spina bifida occurs during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy when a portion of the fetal spinal cord fails to properly close. As a result, the child is born with a part of the spinal cord exposed on the back. Spina bifida is the most common, permanently disabling birth defect.
In , the CDC approximated that about 18 cases of myelomeningocele per , live births occur in the United States. The Spina Bifida Association conservatively estimates that there are 70, people living in the United States with the condition.
The prevalence appears to have decreased in recent years due in part to preventative measures followed by expectant mothers prior to and during pregnancy as well as prenatal testing. The symptoms of spina bifida depend on exactly where and what extent the spinal cord and overlying structures have not developed correctly.
There are three common subtypes:. Occulta is often called hidden spina bifida, as the spinal cord and the nerves are usually normal and there is no opening on the back. In many cases, spina bifida occulta is so mild that there is no disturbance of spinal function at all. Most people are not aware that they have spina bifida occulta, unless it is discovered on an x-ray performed for an unrelated reason.
However, one in 1, individuals will have an occult structural finding that leads to neurological deficits or disabilities as bowel or bladder dysfunction, back pain, leg weakness or scoliosis. Meningocele occurs when the bones do not close around the spinal cord and the meninges are pushed out through the opening, causing a fluid-filled sac to form. The meninges are three layers of membranes covering the spinal cord, consisting of dura mater, arachnoid mater and pia mater. In most cases, the spinal cord and the nerves themselves are normal or not severely affected.
The sac is often covered by skin and may require surgery. This is the rarest type of spina bifida. This is the most severe form of the condition in which a portion of the spinal cord itself protrudes through the back. In some cases, sacs are covered with skin, but in other cases, tissue and nerves may be exposed. Babies with spina bifida occulta might not need any treatment, unless their spinal cord is tethered.
Tethering can lead to problems later in life during growth spurts so it's necessary to surgically detach the spinal cord from surrounding tissue.
After surgery, babies usually have no long-term health problems, but may need surgery again later in childhood if the spinal cord reattaches. Babies with a meningocele need surgery to push the meninges back into the body and close the hole in the vertebrae or skull.
This is usually done in the first few months of life. Babies with a myelomeningocele need surgery 1 to 2 days after birth to protect the exposed area and central nervous system, and to prevent these areas from becoming infected.
If a myelomeningocele is detected early enough during a woman's pregnancy, the fetus can be operated on to correct the defect during the 25th week of pregnancy. During surgery, doctors detach the spinal cord from the skin, push the spinal cord back into place, and close the opening.
Babies who have hydrocephalus also need surgery to ease the buildup of fluid around the brain. This may require an endoscopic third ventriculostomy procedure or a shunt procedure:. After recovery from surgery, babies born with a meningocele or myelomeningocele may need long-term care to help treat any underlying conditions that result from their spina bifida.
Those with paralysis may eventually need walking aids like leg braces, walkers, or a wheelchair. Children with myelomeningocele who also have hydrocephalus will need the continuing care of a neurosurgeon, and they may have learning difficulties in school that require special services. With the right medical care, kids can go on to lead normal, active lives.
The goal is to create a lifestyle for them and their families in which their disability interferes as little as possible with normal everyday activities. Many cases of spina bifida can be prevented if women of childbearing age take 0. Some women may have to take more folic acid, especially if they are taking the medicine valproic acid for epilepsy or depression. Because many women don't find out that they're pregnant until 4 to 5 weeks into the pregnancy, it is important to start taking folic acid before becoming pregnant.
This provides the best protection for an unborn baby. Good sources of folic acid include eggs, orange juice, and dark green leafy vegetables. Many multivitamins contain the recommended dose of folic acid, too. Reviewed by: Joseph H. Piatt Jr.
Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Children with an exposed opening on the back will need surgery to close it.
Causes Low levels of the vitamin folic acid during pregnancy are linked to spina bifida. The spinal cord does not stick out through the skin, although the skin over the lower spine may have a patch of hair, a birthmark, or a dimple above the groove between the buttocks.
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