Hairy patch, dimple, dark spot, swelling on the lower back[1]
Complications
Poor ability to walk, problems with bladder or bowel control, hydrocephalus, tethered spinal cord, latex allergy[2]
Causes
Genetic and environmental factors[3]
Risk factors
Lack of folate during pregnancy, certain antiseizure medications, obesity, poorly controlled diabetes[3][4]
Diagnostic method
Amniocentesis, medical imaging[5]
Prevention
Folate supplementation[3]
Treatment
Surgery[6]
Frequency
15% (occulta), 0.1–5 per 1000 births (others)[7][8]
Spina bifida (SB; /ˌspaɪnə ˈbɪfɪdə/,[9] Latin for 'split spine')[10] is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy.[1] There are three main types: spina bifida occulta, meningocele and myelomeningocele.[1] Meningocele and myelomeningocele may be grouped as spina bifida cystica.[11] The most common location is the lower back, but in rare cases it may be in the middle back or neck.[12]
Occulta has no or only mild signs, which may include a hairy patch, dimple, dark spot or swelling on the back at the site of the gap in the spine.[5][1] Meningocele typically causes mild problems, with a sac of fluid present at the gap in the spine.[1] Myelomeningocele, also known as open spina bifida, is the most severe form.[2] Problems associated with this form include poor ability to walk, impaired bladder or bowel control, accumulation of fluid in the brain, a tethered spinal cord and latex allergy.[2] Some experts believe such an allergy can be caused by frequent exposure to latex, which is common for people with spina bifida who have shunts and have had many surgeries. Learning problems are relatively uncommon.[2]
Spina bifida is believed to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.[3] After having one child with the condition, or if one of the parents has the condition, there is a 4% chance that the next child will also be affected.[4] Not having enough folate (vitamin B9) in the diet before and during pregnancy also plays a significant role.[3] Other risk factors include certain antiseizure medications, obesity and poorly controlled diabetes.[4] Diagnosis may occur either before or after a child is born.[5] Before birth, if a blood test or amniocentesis finds a high level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), there is a higher risk of spina bifida.[5] Ultrasound examination may also detect the problem. Medical imaging can confirm the diagnosis after birth.[5] Spina bifida is a type of neural tube defect related to but distinct from other types such as anencephaly and encephalocele.[13]
Most cases of spina bifida can be prevented if the mother gets enough folate before and during pregnancy.[3] Adding folic acid to flour has been found to be effective for most women.[14] Open spina bifida can be surgically closed before or after birth.[6] A shunt may be needed in those with hydrocephalus, and a tethered spinal cord may be surgically repaired.[6] Devices to help with movement such as crutches or wheelchairs may be useful.[6] Urinary catheterization may also be needed.[6]
Rates of other types of spina bifida vary significantly by country, from 0.1 to 5 per 1,000 births.[15] On average, in developed countries, including the United States, it occurs in about 0.4 per 1,000 births.[7][4][16] In India, it affects about 1.9 per 1,000 births.[17] Europeans are at higher risk compared to Africans.[18]
^ abcde"Spina Bifida: Condition Information". 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18.
^ abcd"Are there disorders or conditions associated with spina bifida?". 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ abcdef"What causes spina bifida?". 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ abcd"How many people are affected by or at risk for spina bifida?". 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ abcde"How do health care providers diagnose spina bifida?". 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ abcde"What are the treatments for spina bifida & related conditions?". 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ abKondo, A; Kamihira, O; Ozawa, H (January 2009). "Neural tube defects: prevalence, etiology and prevention". International Journal of Urology. 16 (1): 49–57. doi:10.1111/j.1442-2042.2008.02163.x. PMID 19120526.
^"Spina Bifida Fact Sheet | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke". www.ninds.nih.gov. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
^Oxford Learner's Dictionary.
^"Spina Bifida Information Page". www.ninds.nih.gov. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
^Ferri, Fred F. (2016). Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2017: 5 Books in 1. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 1188.e2. ISBN 9780323448383.
^Deming, Laura (2011). Pediatric life care planning and case management (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 392. ISBN 9781439803585.
^"Neural Tube Defects (NTDs): Overview". 2012-11-30. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^Castillo-Lancellotti, C; Tur, JA; Uauy, R (May 2013). "Impact of folic acid fortification of flour on neural tube defects: a systematic review". Public Health Nutrition. 16 (5): 901–11. doi:10.1017/s1368980012003576. PMC 10271422. PMID 22850218.
^M. Memet Ö̈zek (2008). Spina bifida : management and outcome. Milan: Springer. p. 58. ISBN 9788847006508.
^Canfield, MA; Honein, MA; Yuskiv, N; Xing, J; Mai, CT; Collins, JS; Devine, O; Petrini, J; Ramadhani, TA; Hobbs, CA; Kirby, RS (November 2006). "National estimates and race/ethnic-specific variation of selected birth defects in the United States, 1999–2001". Birth Defects Research. Part A, Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 76 (11): 747–56. doi:10.1002/bdra.20294. PMID 17051527.
^Bhide, P; Sagoo, GS; Moorthie, S; Burton, H; Kar, A (July 2013). "Systematic review of birth prevalence of neural tube defects in India". Birth Defects Research. Part A, Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 97 (7): 437–43. doi:10.1002/bdra.23153. PMID 23873811.
^Puri, Prem (2011). Newborn surgery (3 ed.). London: Hodder Arnold. p. 811. ISBN 9781444149494.
Spinabifida (SB; /ˌspaɪnə ˈbɪfɪdə/, Latin for 'split spine') is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around...
hours after birth. Spinabifida is further divided into two subclasses, spinabifida cystica and spinabifida occulta. Spinabifida cystica includes meningocele...
cord damage if untreated. TCS is often associated with the closure of a spinabifida. It can be congenital, such as in tight filum terminale, or the result...
developments such as affairs, feuds, bereavements, family problems, spinabifida and having an abortion. Bianca's major storylines have included her dysfunctional...
mechanism of this association between spinabifida and latex allergy is not clearly defined. However, spinabifida patients may become sensitized to latex...
in people with spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinabifida. The gastrointestinal tract has a complex control that relies on coordinated...
with kyphosis/scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, degenerative discs and spinabifida being recognizable examples. The number of vertebrae in a region can...
documenting a procedure being developed at Vanderbilt University to treat spinabifida. The photograph was taken on 19 August and the baby (Samuel Alexander...
prepared and signed when he was 10 years old. Williams was born with spinabifida occulta, a birth defect of the spinal column that caused him lifelong...
gave birth to their first child, Sophie, on March 5, 2005. Sophie has spinabifida, which was diagnosed at birth. Parker gave birth to their son Nicolas...
anomalies of the nervous system include neural tube defects such as spinabifida, encephalocele, and anencephaly. Other congenital anomalies of the nervous...
roles in Years and Years, The Rook and Doctor Who. She was born with spinabifida and has worked with the charity Whizz-Kidz for much of her life. She...
as possible—individual lives. George was also unable to walk due to spinabifida. The first 24 years of their life they spent in an institution for the...
ultrasound can be useful for screening for neural tube defects such as spinabifida or anencephaly. Meroanencephaly is a rare form of anencephaly characterized...
scan of the fetal head at 20 weeks of pregnancy in a fetus affected by spinabifida. In the axial scan the characteristic lemon sign and banana sign are...
women of childbearing age. A meta-analysis of global birth prevalence of spinabifida showed that when mandatory fortification was compared to countries with...
Dyscalculia has also been associated with Turner syndrome and people who have spinabifida. Mathematical disabilities can occur as the result of some types of brain...
October 7, 1951. He is of German and Dutch ancestry. He was born with spinabifida, for which he had corrective surgery as an infant. Mellencamp formed...
the SpinaBifida Association of America. Brei's research has focused on healthcare outcomes for children with spinabifida and as an adult with spina bifida...
plays the role of Walt, a man who, like Kirby himself, was born with spinabifida. Shallow Hal (2001) - Walt Stuck on You (2003) - Phil Rupp Carnivàle...
She gave birth to their first child, a girl, in March 2005. She has spinabifida, which was diagnosed at birth. Parker gave birth to the couple's second...
and Functional Anatomy WebMD. May 17, 2005. SpinaBifida – Topic Overview Information about spinabifida in fetuses and throughout adulthood. WebMD children's...