Spina Bifida Key prevention methods, early detection and effective treatment

Spina bifida, which literally means “cleft or split spine,” is characterized by the incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or meninges which is the protective covering around the brain and spinal cord. It is the most common neural tube defect in the United States which affects anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 of the more than 4 million babies born in the country each year. There are an estimated 166,000 individuals with spina bifida that live in the United States. There are four forms of spina bifida which includes occulta, meningecelem, myelomeningocele, and closed neural tube defects.
Occulta is the mildest and most common form in which one or more vertebrae are malformed. This form of spina bifida, present in 10-20 percent of the general population, rarely causes disability or symptoms. Closed neural tube defects make up the second type of spina bifida. This form consists of a diverse group of defects in which the spinal cord is marked by malformations of fat, bone, or meninges. In most instances there are few or no symptoms; in others the malformation causes incomplete paralysis with urinary and bowel dysfunction. In the third type, meningocele, spinal fluid and meninges protrude through an abnormal vertebral opening; the malformation contains no neural elements and may or may not be covered by a layer of skin. Some individuals with meningocele may have few or no symptoms while others may experience such symptoms as complete paralysis with bladder and bowel dysfunction. Myelomeningocele, the fourth form, is the most severe and occurs when the spinal cord/neural elements are exposed through the opening in the spine, resulting in partial or complete paralysis of the parts of the body below the spinal opening. The impairment may be so severe that the affected individual is unable to walk and may have bladder and bowel dysfunction.
Nobody is completely sure what causes spina bifida. Scientists say most likely it is due to a combination of genetic, environmental and nutritional factors. Researchers believe that is a result of a poor intake of folic acid, which is a common Vitamin B, while the mother is pregnant with the child. Researchers also believe that it is due to uncontrolled diabetes and high fevers during pregnancies. Many mothers are unaware of the possibilities of their children facing this disease being that many doctors don’t test for this.
“The doctors didn’t notice anything wrong with my baby till about 8 months and by then it was too late,” said Amy Matthews, a 31 year old sophomore nursing major from St. Francisville, Louisiana.
During pregnancy, you can have a blood test, which is could be a maternal serum triple or a quadruple screen, and an ultrasound of the developing baby. These tests check for signs of spina bifida and other problems. If test results suggest a birth defect, you can choose to have an amniocentesis. This test helps confirm if the baby has spina bifida. After birth, a doctor can usually tell if a baby has spina bifida by how the baby’s back looks. If spina bifida is suspected, the doctor may do an X-ray, a MRI, or a CT scan to see if the defect is mild or severe.
Treatment for spina bifida depends on the severity of the condition. Most people with spina bifida occulta require no treatment at all. Children with meningocele typically require surgical removal of the cyst and survive with little, if any, disability. Children with myelomeningocele, however, require complex and often lifelong treatment and assistance. Almost all of them survive with appropriate treatment starting soon after birth. Their quality of life depends at least partially on the speed, efficiency, and comprehensiveness with which that treatment is provided. There is no cure for spina bifida. The goal of treatment for spina bifida is to allow the individual to achieve the highest possible level of function and independence. Treatment should address any disability, physical, emotional, or educational, that interferes with that person’s potential.
The key to reducing the total number people affected by spina bifida in the United States is people must first be educated of this uncommon disease along with proper prenatal care during pregnancy. Expecting parents should ask questions and be aware of all risk with their unborn infant.