What is Spina Bifida (Myelomeningocele)?
Spina bifida is a complicated birth defect that affects the spinal column. Due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors, normal development is interrupted early in the pregnancy and a section of the spinal column is not fully formed. In the United States, spina bifida is the second most common birth defect and affects about one out of every one thousand pregnancies. This can occur anywhere along the spine and has a range of severity: • Spina bifida occulta — the outer part of some of the vertebrae are unformed and the underlying spinal cord is still protected. This form of the defect can be mild and sometimes go unrecognized until later in life. • Meningocele — the meninges are damaged and pushed out through the opening in the vertebrae; however, the spinal cord is still normal. • Myelomeningocele (aka, meningomyelocele, Spina bifida cystica) — the most serious and common form, the spinal cord protrudes unprotected through the unfused portion of the vertebrae resulting in
Spina Bifida is defect that has a range of severity the worst of which is myelomeningocele. It is one of the most devastating birth defects in which there is an opening in the spinal column of the fetus. Most children with this birth defect survive, but they can be left with many disabilities, including paralysis, difficulty with the control of bowel and bladder function, hydrocephalus (excessive fluid in the brain), and mental retardation. The degree to which an infant is impaired usually is related to the location of the spinal defect. The higher the spinal opening occurs on the back, the greater the impairment.
