Spina Bifida By: Catherine Huang

Welcome! Hello and welcome! Today, I’ll show you many things about Spina Bifida. You’ll discover what it means and how it happens and….etc. So let’s get started with a little trip in my air/water lab. Get ready to explore the disorder of………Spina Bifida!!!!!

Spina Bifida Spina Bifida is a type of neural tube defect that happens when the spine or spinal cord has an opening which helps form a sac that fills the opening. Usually the sack contains lots of nerves or lots of liquid.

Characteristics/Symptoms There are three different types of Spina Bifida; Spina Bifida Occulta, Meningocele, and Myelomeningocele. There are other disorders that are related from this disorder, though many are only for the type Myelomeningocele.

Hydrocephalus If you have this disorder, you would usually see an enlarged head, because of the fluid that keeps on building in the head % of the kids who have Myelomeningocele, are likely to have this disorder. Doctors treat this by surgically placing a tube (shunt) to help reduce the amount of fluid.

Chiari II malformation This usually happens to people who have Myelomeningocele. The lower part of the brain is lower down and touching the upper parts of the spinal cord. This could cause Hydrocephalus, because of the blocking the flow of fluid surrounding the brain.

Tethered spinal cord Most children get this disorder from Myelomeningocele, though some children with Meningocele or Spina Bifida Occulta get it too. When the spinal cord is surrounded by tissues and it cannot easily move. Sometimes symptoms occur like scoliosis, leg weakness,……..etc. Doctors do surgery to remove the tissues.

Latex Allergy People with Myelomeningocele probably have an allergy to latex, because of the repeated use in surgery rooms. 80% of the people Myelomeningocele usually don’t have any learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities

Urinary tract disorders This is another disorder, if people have the type Myelomeningocele. This happens when there is nerve damage and if untreated could become kidney damage.

Other conditions People with Myelomeningocele might have other problems too, like digestive tract disorder,……..etc.

Spina Bifida Occulta This type of Spina Bifida is the least severe. The open part of the spine is covered by muscle and skin. You usually cannot detect if you have this type of Spina Bifida. But, many people see a birthmark, dimple, ……etc. on the lower part of the spine.

Meningocele When people have this type of Spina Bifida, they have a sac protruding in the back of their spine. The difference between meningocele and myelomeningocele is for meningocele it only contains fluid, making it less severe. Also it has membranes (meninges) covering the sac, spinal cord, and brain. If a baby has this type of Spina Bifida, it does not depend on the size of the sac.

Myelomeningocele This is the most severe and common form of Spina Bifida. Once the baby is born you would be able to see the sac protruding from the spine. The sac contains nerves, fluid, and part of the spinal cord. Sometimes it is covered with skin, though sometimes not.

The Genetic Cause Scientists are still trying to figure out the genetic cause of this. Though one conclusion is if one parent has Spina Bifida, the parents have a 4% chance of their baby having it. Also if the mother has a fever during the start of having a baby, the baby might have Spina Bifida. During my research, I discovered that if mothers take folic acid before and during the time there having the baby, this type of disease could be prevented.

95% of the parents, who have kids with Spina Bifida, don’t have a history of neural tube defects (this includes Spina Bifida).

Statistics There are many different factors that contribute to if you have Spina Bifida. Some risks for mothers to have children with Spina Bifida are: Sometimes people who are Hispanics or with light- colored skin have a greater risk of getting Spina Bifida. If a person has diabetes and doesn't control their glucose levels.

A mother who has a fever during the start of having a baby. If the mother doesn't take enough folic acid before and during the time of having the baby. If one of the parents has a neural tube defect, or if a parent already had a child with a neural tube defect. If the mother is overweight before having the child.

Identification/Diagnosis Scientists haven’t found a diagnosis to Spina Bifida. So far they have only tested it on mice.

Treatments/Therapies  There are specific treatments for the different types of Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida Occulta- If you have this type of Spina Bifida, you probably won’t need treatment. Meningocele- If you have this type of Spina Bifida you would need to have surgery to push the sac filled with fluid and meninges back in the spinal cord.

Myelomeningocele- People with Spina Bifida, usaully get surgery the day or one day after there born, to push the sac containing the fluid, nerves, and a part of the spinal cord, back in place.

Fetal Disorders In order to see if the baby has Spina Bifida, doctors do it in two steps: Step 1(AFP test)- During the 16 th -18 th week of the baby in the mother’s stomach. The doctors does Amniocentesis to see how high the AFP (alpha- fetoprotein) levels are. If they are high they check again to make sure it is a neural tube defect (NTD).

Step 2(ultrasound)- Now the doctors do an ultrasound to see if the NTD is actually Spina Bifida. If it’s a great ultrasound, then you can actually see the opening in the spine and/or the enlarged head.