signs and symptoms of spina bifida

What is spina bifida?

Spina bifida, which literally means "spina bifida," is characterized by the incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and / or meninges (the protective covering around the brain and spinal cord). It is the most common neural tube defect in the United States - affecting 1,500 to 2,000 of the more than 4 million babies born in the country each year.

What are the different types of spina bifida?

There are four types of spina bifida:

1. hidden,

2. defects of the closed neural tube,

3. meningocele, and

4. Myelomeningocele

Occult is the mildest and most common form in which one or more vertebrae are malformed. The name "occulta," which means & # ocultoidden, "indicates that the malformation, or opening of the spine, is covered by a layer of skin. This form of spina bifida rarely causes disability or symptoms.

Closed neural tube defects constitute the second type of spina bifida. This form is composed of a diverse group of spinal defects in which the spinal cord is marked by a malformation of fat, bone, or membranes. In some patients there are few or no symptoms; in others the malformation causes incomplete paralysis with urinary and bowel dysfunction.

In the third type, meningocele, the meninges protrude from the opening of the spine, and the malformation may or may not be covered by a layer of skin. Some patients with meningocele may have few or no symptoms while others may have symptoms similar to neural tube closure defects.

Myelomeningocele, the fourth form, is the most severe and occurs when the spinal cord is exposed through the opening in the spine, resulting in partial or complete paralysis of the parts of the body below the spinal opening. The paralysis can be so severe that the affected individual is unable to walk and may have urinary and bowel dysfunction.

The signs and symptoms of spina bifida

The symptoms of spina bifida vary from person to person, depending on the type. Often, people with hidden have no outward signs of the disease. Defects of the closed neural tube are often recognized at an early age due to an abnormal lock of hair or a small dimple or birthmark on the skin at the site of the vertebral malformation.

Meningocele and myelomeningocele usually involve a sac filled with fluid-visible in the back-protruding from the spinal cord. In meningocele, the sac may be covered by a thin layer of skin, whereas in most cases of myelomeningocele, there is no layer of skin covering the sac and a section of tissue from the spinal cord is normally exposed.

What causes spina bifida?

The exact cause of spina bifida is a mystery. No one knows what interrupts the complete closure of the neural tube, causing a malformation to develop. Scientists suspect genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors play a role. Research studies indicate that insufficient intake of folic acid - a common vitamin B - in the mother's diet is a key factor in the cause of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. The prenatal vitamins that are prescribed for the pregnant mother typically contain folic acid, as well as other vitamins.