Spina bifida is a neural tube defect - a type of birth defect of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. It happens if the spinal column of the fetus doesn't close completely during the first month of pregnancy. This can damage the nerves and spinal cord. Screening tests during pregnancy can check for spina bifida. Sometimes it is discovered only after the baby is born.
The symptoms of spina bifida vary from person to person. Most people with spina bifida are of normal intelligence. Some people need assistive devices such as braces, crutches, or wheelchairs. They may have learning difficulties, urinary and bowel problems, or hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain.
- Spina Bifida (National Library of Medicine)Spina bifida is a neural tube defect - a type of birth defect of the brain, spine, or spinal ... cord. Screening tests during pregnancy can check for spina bifida. Sometimes it is discovered only after the baby ...
- Spina bifida is a condition in which the neural tube, a layer of cells that ultimately develops into ... the spine, leading to permanent nerve damage. Because spina bifida is caused by abnormalities of the neural tube, ...
- ... following organizations are good resources for information on spina bifida : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- www.cdc.gov/spina-bifida/ Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center -- rarediseases.info. ...
- ... spinal membranes. Meningocele and myelomeningocele are types of spina bifida . ... a medical team with experience in children with spina bifida. Your baby will likely have an MRI (magnetic ...
- Spina Bifida (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)Spina Bifida/Start Here ... Spina Bifida ... National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ... Spina bifida is a birth disorder that involves the incomplete ...
- ... 4,000 infants. Other types of NTDs include: Spina bifida occulta, a condition in which the bones of ... the baby. Most women carrying a baby with spina bifida will have an increased level of a protein ...
- Spina Bifida (March of Dimes Foundation)Spina Bifida/Start Here ... Spina Bifida ... March of Dimes Foundation ... Spina bifida is when a baby's spine doesn't form correctly. It may cause a number of health ...
- Spina bifida is a congenital disorder (birth defect) in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close ... membranes protruding out of an affected infant's back. Spina bifida may also be nearly inconsequential, or may be ...
- Manage Spina Bifida (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)Health issues and treatments for people with spina bifida will be different for each person.
- What Are the Treatments for Spina Bifida and Related Conditions? (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)Spina Bifida/Treatments and Therapies ... Spina Bifida ... Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ... From the National Institutes ...