Spina bifida is a neural tube defect that develops during the first month of pregnancy when the spinal column does not close completely. It affects approximately 1,500 pregnancies each year. Although the occurrences appear to be decreasing, the birth defect occurs
Spina bifida is a neural tube defect that develops during the first month of pregnancy when the spinal column does not close completely. It affects approximately 1,500 pregnancies each year. Although the occurrences appear to be decreasing, the birth defect occurs in approximately 7 of out every 10,000 live births in the United States. According to the Spina Bifida Association of America, it is estimated that more than 70,000 people in the United States are living with this birth defect.
Spina Bifida: Effects, Risks, Diagnosis, and Prevention
The effects may be different for every person. Up to 90% of children with the worst form of spina bifida have hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) and must have surgery to insert a “shunt” that helps drain the fluid—the shunt stays in place for the lifetime of the person.
Other conditions include full or partial paralysis, bladder and bowel control difficulties, learning disabilities, depression, social and sexual issues, and latex allergy.
Who is at risk?
Every pregnant woman is at risk for a possible birth defect. In fact, 95% of neural tube defects (NTDs) occur in women with no personal or family history of NTDs.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), here are some risk factors that are known to increase the risk of an NTD:
- A previous NTD-affected pregnancy makes it approximately 20x more likely that a woman will have another NTD-affected pregnancy
- Maternal insulin-dependent diabetes
- Use of certain anti-seizure medication (Valproic acid/Depakene, and Carbamazepine/Tegretol)
- Medically diagnosed obesity
- High temperatures in early pregnancy (i.e., prolonged fevers and hot tub use)
- Race/ethnicity (NTDs are more common among white women than black women, and more common among Hispanic women than non-Hispanic women)
- Lower socioeconomic status
How is it diagnosed?
Spina bifida is o