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Folic acid supplementation beginning at least 3 months before conception and continued through at least the first trimester of fetal development has been shown to reduce the incidence of spina bifida by almost 75%.
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How can a person be high risk for Spina Bifida?
You cannot "get" Spina Bifida after birth, it is a birth defect. An unborn child can be at risk for Spina Bifida by his/her mother not getting enough folic acid during and before pregnancy, and also if there is a family history of Spina Bifida.
Does a child have any risk with spina bifida dimpling?
This is a type of spina bifida but the mildest form. Usually no nerve damage occurs. It usually is seen with a tuff of hair.
Your first child had Spina Bifida could your unborn child have it too?
There is a slight increase of about 3% to 7% over the general population for mothers who have had a child with Spina Bifida to have another child with the defect. This risk can be reduced to 1% by taking folic acid(vitamin D) in prescription strength starting four weeks prior to conception through the first trimester.In the event the fetus does have Spina Bifida taking folic acid will also help reduce the severity of the defect.
How can people avoid getting this Spina Bifida disorder?
There is no means of definitely preventing Spina Bifida, however taking folic acid leading up to and throughout the pregnancy can assist in normal growth of the spinal cord and is therefore a good preventative measure to take. There is about a 0.1-0.2% chance an infant will be diagnosed with Spina Bifida, and not all cases are serious.
What are the tests needed to determine spina bifida prenatally?
Taking vitamin B (folic acid) before getting pregnant will lower the risk of Spina Bifida. Ultra sound, Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) and amniocentesis are the tests used in early pregnancy to rule out such abnormalities.
Is anencephaly a result of incomplete formation of the vertebral arches and can be caused by inadequate folic acid in the maternal diet?
False, that's spina bifida. Both spina bifida and anencephaly are neural tube defects whose risk decreases with adequate folic acid intake.
Is Spina Bifida an autosomal recessive disorder?
It is not exactly known what causes Spina Bifida, but believed that genes and the environment play a role. Women who have given birth to children who have Spina Bifida are at a higher risk for having more children with the disorder. Before and during pregnancy, if one desires to have children, one can take steps to prevent Spina Bifida in one's child. By simply taking in 400 mcg of folic acid a day, or 4,000 mcg in women at a higher risk, not drinking alcohol, and not overheating your body, one can greatly reduce the chances of one's child being born with Spina Bifida. Also, one's doctor should be consulted before one gets pregnant if one takes medication for epilepsy, such as Depakote, or medication for acne, as some medications may cause birth defects.
What race is most attacked by spina bifida?
Spina Bifida has been found to occur most in Hispanic populations.The following lists groups by race/ethnicity from most at risk to least at risk:Hispanic (most at risk)WhiteAmerican Indian / Alaskan NativeBlackAsian / Pacific Islander (least at risk)Please see the related link for more.
Is Spina Bifida hereditary?
Spina bifida doesn't follow a strict inheritance pattern, but hereditary factors do play some role, though it is not completely understood yet. Mothers who have had one child with spina bifida have a 3-4% chance of their next child having spina bifida, while the general population only has a 0.1-0.2% chance. In the case a pregnant woman has a family history of spina bifida, it is recommended that they take a higher dose of folic acid than other pregnant women. Here again, folic acid plays a role in preventing neural tube defects (like spina bifida), but the mechanism is not well understood. Also, for an unknown reason, it is more prevalent in female children than in male children.
How much folic acid is recommended to reduce risk of Spina Bifida?
Because 50% of all pregnancies are unplanned, most researchers of folic acid and Spina Bifida would like to see all women of child bearing age take a daily supplement of .4 mg folic acid. (400 micrograms)Women who are at increased risk, who either have Spina Bifida themselves or who have had a prior pregnancy or child effected by NTD, should increase the amount to 4.0 mg (4000 micrograms) daily by prescription one to three months before they plan to conceive and through the end of the the first trimester.Any woman planning to conceive should speak to her health care provider about folic acid.
Is it safe to go in hot springs when pregnant?
No, especially not in the first trimester. It is known to be one of the risk factors for having a baby born with a birth defect called Spina Bifida. Using anything, including a heating pad, on the abdomen area during the first trimester of pregnancy can cause the child to be born with Spina Bifida.
12 wks pregnant diagnosed with Spina Bifida 10 years ago what risk do you have?
If the mother was not taking folic acid supplements at least 3 months prior to conception and continued taking them through the first trimester of her pregnancy, then her chances of having a child with spina bifida is approximately 3%. If she had been taking at least 4 mg of folic acid per day, her risk is reduced to 1%.
