Is Spina Bifida deadly?
Very rarely is Spina Bifida fatal. Usually it results in difficulty in using the legs and sometimes bladder and bowel control problems, as well as often being accompanied by hydrocephalus (water on the brain), which is easily managed with surgery to put a shunt in the head (a shunt is a tube that drains fluid out of the brain). People with Spina Bifida can sometimes have problems with urinary tract infections, which can become serious if not treated, but there are antibiotics to treat them effectively.
