Spina Bifida

It can cause hydrocephalus (water on the brain) due to a defect in the lower skull that often accompanies Spina Bifida, and it can cause total or partial paralysis of the legs and feet, and lack of bladder and bowel control.

Yes. I have spina bifida and I'm twenty years old and I've been able to walk completely normal my entire life with no crutches or braces of any kind and have never had any complications.

Not all people with Spina Bifida can walk. It depends on the severity of the condition in the individual. But with advances in medicine, children with Spina Bifida can now receive early intervention and many are able to walk, at least with crutches or a walker, if not unaided.

The populations of Ireland and Wales have a higher incidence than other countries, and Caucasian people tend to get it more than non-Caucasians.

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.

Down syndrome is not a traditional "genetic" malady that is necessarily transferred from a healthy individual,this is a random mutation in the 21st chromosome where there are 3 instead of 2. There is no such thing as a carrier of Down

Myeloschisis is the most serious form. The cord is open and is wide. The spinal folds fail to fuse entirely. What is left is a flattened mass of nerves. Effects of this form are hydrocephalus, partial paralysis, bowel and bladder control problems and learning disabilities.

There is no treatment or cure for this. Physical treatment can be used: closure of the defect in the first 24 hours, medications, and physiotherapy. Children can live into adulthood just as people who have had polio or who have been involved in accidents with spinal injuries.

As far as I remember,folic acid is the most important one. It is recommended to be taken in the first trimester of pregnancy. I remember that it is especially important in preventing defects such as down syndrome. I also remember my physician mentioning nuchal translucency every time she asked me if I'm taking folic acid.

It depends on where the defect lies, if the defect is small and contained in the lower spine the chance would be small - if the defect is large and includes hydrocephalus - the chance would be much greater.

Most people born with SB in recent years are highly functioning, thanks to prenatal screening and early intervention to repair the spinal opening and drain extra fluid off of the brain which allows for normal brain development.

Taking Folic Acid starting before conception and continuing for the first trimester has also reduced the severity of defects in babies who will be born with SB.

Yes. It will require surgery at 1 to 2 days old to close the opening in the spine, then possibly a shunt, which is a tube to drain water off of the brain (hydrocephalus) and then during the rest of the childhood, orthopedic surgeries to straighten the legs and maximize their function, as well as possibly bladder surgery to fix any bladder control problem. The child may never walk or be able to control the function of the bowels and bladder, or they may, depending on the level of the paralysis.

Sometimes the only signs of it may in the lower spine area as a dimple, a small tuft of hair, or a small growth. If one has an imaging scan and a tethered spinal cord is noted, this can sometimes be a sign of spina bifida occulta as well.

There are 3 forms of spina bifida. Spina Bifida Occulta, Meningocele, and Myelomeningocele. The worst form Myelomengingocele is the most common and the effects can include learning disabilities and sometimes developmental disabilities (mental retardation). It affects 1 in 1000 babies born. 90% of them are born with the most serious form (Myelomengingocele). Spina bifida usually results in some paralysis/loss of control of the legs, bowel, and bladder, and is often accompanied by hydrocephalus (water on the brain).

It is possible, but it depends on its severity. Some people with a strong case of meylomeningocele may have more lack of oxygen towards the brain, or more severe bladder and kidney infections due to permanent catheterization. Others wont. I suffer from the harshest one, but I can walk, run, etc and I have only needed two surgeries all my life, but I self-catheterise. So it really depends on how severe and birth deformed it affected the person.

That depends on the level of the vertebrae at which the defect occurs. Common surgeries for persons with Spina Bifida may include orthopedic surgeries, on the legs and feet, to improve position and usage, and bladder and kidney surgeries to improve function. Some may need an ileostomy to allow the passage of urine through a stoma on the stomach, if the bladder doesn't function well enough. Also many with Spina Bifida will need a shunt, a small tube to drain cerebrospinal fluid out of the brain, because hydrocephalus ("water on the brain") is common with Spina Bifida.

That can depend on how the child with Spina Bifida is treated, such as if he/she is teased, etc. The isolation a child with any disability may go through can also result in depression and self-esteem issues.

Yes. Spina Bifida does not effect the reproductive system. If the man can get an erection, he can have children, unless he has a reproductive problem unrelated to Spina Bifida, such as too low of a sperm count.

I have a moderate form of spina bifida, called meningocele, and hydrocephalus but am quite independent. However, I depend on others to drive me places. I also use crutches to walk and anything further than 100 metres requires the use of a wheelchair. I also need to wear splints in order to be able to walk.

The hydrocephalus also causes great difficulty retaining important information and being in school surrounded by a large group of my classmates was extremely difficult for me, as I would find myself drifting off after a couple of minutes and then would be suddenly aware that I had lost concentration.

The spina bifida also caused nerve damage to my arms and unfortunately I can't write as quickly as a normal, healthy person does. For example, say it takes someone 30 minutes to write out a long paragraph - it would take me double that time to complete the same amount of work.

I had a shunt inserted when I was 10 days old and it's still in perfect working order and had an operation on my back when I was 5 years old. In spite of my difficulties I have managed to live a good life so far and long may it continue.

No

spinal cord may be affected

Shunts certainly can be taken out, as they may need to be replaced, especially during childhood, due to the growth of the child, and in some cases, need to be replaced because of shunt malfunction or infection. But they are usually required for the entire life of a person who has hydrocephalus, from the time they get their first shunt. With some people this is soon after birth, and with some it may occur later, but from that point on, it will be a permanent requirement.

They carry.

This is a difficult question to answer because it is subjective. What one person feels is the worst may not be what someone else does. Also the subject matter is kind of macabre.

One of the worst types of birth defects that I can think of off hand is anencephaly. Anencephaly is, like spina bifida, is a defect in the formation of the neural tube, but in this case the fetus does not develop a brain. They may still retain a brain stem so reflex actions like breathing can still happen, but the part of the brain that allows for consciousness is not there. Invariably these babies do not survive long after birth.

In most cases severe malformation results in spontaneous abortion.

The neural tube closes around the 28th day of gestation, so that would be at the end of the fourth week.

Yes, a VP shunt is adjustable.

portable