Types of spina bifida
- Myelomeningocele. This is the most common and serious type of spina bifida. It involves a sack outside the opening in the baby’s back somewhere on the spine.
- Meningocele. This type of spina bifida also involves a sack of fluid outside an opening in the baby’s back. ...
- Spina bifida occulta. This is a mild type of spina bifida. ...
What are the different types of spina bifida?
Apr 25, 2022 · What are the types of spina bifida? Occulta is the mildest and most common form in which one or more bones of the spinal column (called vertebrae) are... Closed neural tube defects are a diverse group of defects in which the spine may have malformations of fat, bone, or the... Meningocele occurs ...
What are the causes of spina bifida?
Types of spina bifida Myelomeningocele. This is the most common and serious type of spina bifida. It involves a sack outside the opening in... Meningocele. This type of spina bifida also involves a sack of fluid outside an opening in the baby’s back. However, the... Spina bifida occulta. This …
Where does spina bifida occur in the spine?
Myelomeningocele, also known as open spina bifida, is the most severe form. Spina bifida is believed to be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Also to know, how common is spina bifida? Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect in the United States. Between 1,500 and 2,000 babies out of about 4 million births are born with this disorder each …
How many babies are born with spina bifida each year?
The symptoms of spina bifida depend on exactly where and what extent the spinal cord and overlying structures have not developed correctly. There are three common subtypes: Occulta is often called hidden spina bifida, as the spinal cord and the nerves are usually normal and there is no opening on the back. In this form of spina bifida, there is only a small defect or gap in the …
What are the common types of spina bifida?
- Myelomeningocele (sounds like: my-low-ma-nin-jo-seal; hear how “myelomeningocele” sounds ) ...
- Meningocele (sounds like: ma-nin-jo-seal; hear how “meningocele” sounds ) ...
- Spina Bifida Occulta (sounds like: o-cult-tuh; hear how “occulta” sounds )
How common is spina bifida myelomeningocele?
What is the rarest form of spina bifida?
What are the 4 types of spina bifida?
What is the difference between meningocele and Meningomyelocele?
What is MMC spina bifida?
Is spina bifida more common in males or females?
What is the average life expectancy of a person with spina bifida?
Who is most at risk for spina bifida?
- Mother's age. Spina bifida is more common in teen mothers.
- History of miscarriage. A woman who has had miscarriages in the past has a higher risk of having a baby with neural tube defects.
- Birth order. First-born babies are at higher risk.
- Socioeconomic status.
What are the 3 forms of spina bifida?
When should I be concerned about a sacral dimple?
Can a woman with spina bifida give birth?
What are the three types of spina bifida?
Types of Spina Bifida. The three most common types of spina bifida are: Myelomeningocele (sounds like: my-low-ma-nin-jo-seal; hear how “myelomeningocele” sounds. external icon. ) When people talk about spina bifida, most often they are referring to myelomeningocele.
What is Spina Bifida?
Treatments. Causes. Living with Spina Bifida. Spina bifida is a condition that affects the spine and is usually apparent at birth. It is a type of neural tube defect (NTD). Spina bifida can happen anywhere along the spine if the neural tube does not close all the way. When the neural tube doesn’t close all the way, ...
Do all people with spina bifida have the same needs?
Treatments. Not all people born with spina bifida have the same needs, so treatment will be different for each person. Some people have problems that are more serious than others. People with myelomeningocele and meningocele will need more treatments than people with spina bifida occulta.
Can folic acid help with spina bifida?
Although folic acid is not a guarantee that a woman will have a healthy pregnancy, taking folic acid can help reduce a woman’s risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida.
Can Spina Bifida be severe?
Spina bifida can range from mild to severe. Some people may have little to no disability. Other people may be limited in the way they move or function. Some people may even be paralyzed or unable to walk or move parts of their body.
What is AFP test?
AFP – AFP stands for alpha-fetoprotein (sounds like: al-fa–fee-toe-pro-teen), a protein the unborn baby produces.
What does AFP mean in blood test?
This is a simple blood test that measures how much AFP has passed into the mother’s bloodstream from the baby. A high level of AFP might mean that the baby has spina bifida.
Where is Spina Bifida?
It’s when the spinal cord, brain, or meninges (their protective covering) does not completely develop. It can be anywhere along the spine and usually can be seen in an opening in the baby’s back at birth. It may also appear as a sack of fluid that has grown outside the body on the spine. This sack may or may not include the spinal cord inside.
Does Spina Bifida have a spinal cord?
This type of spina bifida also involves a sack of fluid outside an opening in the baby’s back. However, the sack does not contain any part of the spinal cord. Because there isn’t a lot of nerve damage, meningocele causes only minor disabilities.
Is there a gap in the spine in a baby with spina bifida?
It may also go by the term “hidden” spina bifida. It does not cause any disabilities and may go unnoticed until later in life. There is usually no opening in the baby’s back, but only a gap in the spine. In this type, there is no damage to the spinal cord or the nerves.
What are the symptoms of Spina Bifida Occulta?
Symptoms of spina bifida occulta include: a gap in between vertebrae. no visible opening outside. no fluid-filled sack outside the body. small birthmark or dimple on the back. small group or cluster of hair on the back. an area of extra fat on the back.
What causes spina bifida?
All of the exact causes of spina bifida are not specifically understood. However, it involves a combination of genetics and environmental factors. A child born with spina bifida may not have any relatives with the condition, even though genetics play a factor.
Is spina bifida genetic?
All of the exact causes of spina bifida are not specifically understood. However, it involves a combination of genetics and environmental factors. A child born with spina bifida may not have any relatives with the condition, even though genetics play a factor.
Can a child with spina bifida go to college?
Coping mechanisms, medications, therapies, and any walking aids are normally in place. Many children with spina bifida grow up to attend college and have careers. Some also live independently. However, ongoing medical issues can develop throughout the life of a person with spina bifida.
What is spinal bifida?
Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly. It's a type of neural tube defect. The neural tube is the structure in a developing embryo that eventually becomes the baby's brain, spinal cord and the tissues that enclose them. Normally, the neural tube forms early in pregnancy and it closes by ...
How severe is Spina Bifida?
Spina bifida can range from mild to severe, depending on the type of defect, size, location and complications. When necessary, early treatment for spina bifida involves surgery — although such treatment doesn't always completely resolve the problem.
What is Spina Bifida Occulta?
Spina bifida occulta results in a small separation or gap in one or more of the bones of the spine (vertebrae). Many people who have spina bifida occulta don't even know it, unless the condition is discovered during an imaging test done for unrelated reasons.
What causes spina bifida?
It's thought to result from a combination of genetic, nutritional and environmental risk factors, such as a family history of neural tube defects and folate (vitamin B-9) deficiency.
Is spina bifida more common in whites?
Spina bifida is more common among whites and Hispanics, and females are affected more often than males. Although doctors and researchers don't know for sure why spina bifida occurs, they have identified some risk factors:
Can diabetes cause spina bifida?
Women with diabetes who don' t have well-controlled blood sugar have a higher risk of having a baby with spina bifida. Obesity. Pre-pregnancy obesity is associated with an increased risk of neural tube birth defects, including spina bifida. Increased body temperature.
Does obesity cause spina bifida?
Obesity. Pre-pregnancy obesity is associated with an increased risk of neural tube birth defects, including spina bifida. Increased body temperature. Some evidence suggests that increased body temperature (hyperthermia) in the early weeks of pregnancy may increase the risk of spina bifida .
How many people have Spina Bifida?
The Spina Bifida Association conservatively estimates that there are 70,000 people living in the United States with the condition. The prevalence appears to have decreased in recent years due in part to preventative measures followed by expectant mothers prior to and during pregnancy as well as prenatal testing.
When does Spina Bifida occur?
Spina Bifida. Spina bifida occurs during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy when a portion of the fetal spinal cord fails to properly close. As a result, the child is born with a part of the spinal cord exposed on the back.
Is Spina Bifida Occulta mild?
In many cases, spina bifida occulta is so mild that there is no disturbance of spinal function at all. Most people are not aware that they have spina bifida occulta, unless it is discovered on an x-ray performed for an unrelated reason.
Is folic acid safe for pregnancy?
Since half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, folic acid must be taken whether a woman is planning a pregnancy or not. Research has shown that if all women of childbearing age took a multivitamin with the B-vitamin folic acid, the risk of neural tube defects could be reduced by up to 70%.
What is the most common form of spina bifida?
Myelomeningocele. The most common and serious form of spina bifida is called myelomeningocele (my•e•lo•me•nin•go•cele) (MMC), in which part of the spinal cord and surrounding nerves push through the open bones (vertebrae) in the spine and protrude from the fetus’ back. In myelomeningocele, spinal cord and nerves protrude from the back in a sac ...
What is Spina Bifida?
Spina bifida is a birth defect in which an area of the spinal column doesn’t form properly, leaving a section of the spinal cord and spinal nerves exposed through an opening in the back. Spina bifida occurs in 1 per 2,000 live births in the United States and is the most common central nervous system birth defect.
How many babies are born with Spina Bifida each year?
Spina bifida occurs in 1 per 2,000 live births in the United States and is the most common central nervous system birth defect. Around 1,500 babies are born with spina bifida in the U.S. each year. Find some more fast facts about spina bifida.
How early can you detect spina bifida?
Evaluation and diagnosis of spina bifida. As with other birth defects, most myelomeningoceles are discovered by routine ultrasound evaluation between 16 and 18 weeks into the pregnancy. Fetal ultrasound depicting myelomeningocele Sonographic features suggestive of myelomeningocele include a cystic mass anywhere on the spine.
How long after birth can you have Spina Bifida surgery?
Traditional spina bifida treatment takes the form of surgical repair 24 to 48 hours after birth.
When is Spina Bifida delivered?
If postnatal spina bifida surgery is recommended or selected, your pregnancy is monitored — often at your home hospital — and a cesarean delivery is planned at CHOP at 37 weeks.
How long does it take for Spina Bifida to heal?
Traditional spina bifida treatment takes the form of surgical repair 24 to 48 hours after birth. Your child will undergo general anesthesia. A pediatric neurosurgeon removes the MMC sac, if one is present, and closes the surrounding tissue and skin over the defect to protect the spinal cord.
What is the most common form of spina bifida?
Myelomeningocele is the most serious and more common of the two forms of cystic spina bifida. Here the cyst not only contains tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) but also nerves and part of the spinal cord. The exposed spinal cord is damaged by the fluid in the womb during pregnancy and may also not develop properly. As a result, there is nearly always some resulting paralysis and loss of sensation. Nerves to and from the spinal cord emerging below the damaged region may not pass messages to the brain. The extent of this can be patchy and difficult to predict.
What is Spina Bifida Occulta?
The term ‘spina bifida occulta’ is sometimes used to refer to other skin covered lesions (such as lipomyelomeningocoele or diastematomyelia - see below) but it is more accurate to distinguish between those conditions, and uncomplicated gaps in the vertebrae.
What happens to the spinal cord during pregnancy?
As a result, there is nearly always some resulting paralysis and loss of sensation. Nerves to and from the spinal cord emerging below the damaged region may not pass messages to the brain.
What is SBO in medical terms?
Spina bifida occulta (SBO) is a type of spinal dysraphism or ‘closed’, skin-covered form of spina bifida. Estimates vary, but between 5% and 10% of people may have spina bifida occulta. For most people affected, SBO will have no impact on their lives. Often people only become aware that they have the condition after having a back x-ray or scan ...
What does the cerebellum look like?
For example, the bones to the sides of the head can look pinched, and the cerebellum looks long, thin and wrapped around the spinal cord , instead of being round (Chiari II). In lipomyelomeningocoele, the brain and skull will usually look normal so the changes to the spine may not be detected.
What is the term for the spinal cord that is divided into two sections?
This is a condition in which the spinal cord is divided into two (lengthways), usually in the lumbar area. (The spinal cord may join up again, but if it doesn’t, it is referred to as diplomyelia.) Around half of people with diastematomyelia have their spinal cord divided by an extra piece of bone or band of fibrous tissue in the spinal canal. The spinal cord can become tethered because of the extra bone or tissue. Treatment usually involves surgery to remove the bone and to free up the spinal cord ( detethering ). People without the extra bone only occasionally develop symptoms, if the cord becomes tethered. Diastematomyelia can occur alone, or with lipomyelomeningocoele.
What is a lipomyelomeningocoele?
Lipomyelomeningocoele is a closed spinal lesion in which part of the spinal cord and nerves are tangled in a benign fatty tumour. Like other forms of spina bifida, it develops during early pregnancy. The exact cause is still uncertain, but it is thought that a layer of cells (which will develop into the skin) detaches from the neural tissue too early, allowing fat cells to become attached to the spinal cord, where they grow to form a lump. These fat cells prevent the spinal bones closing completely, leaving the ‘spina bifida’ gap. It is present from birth and is often seen as a skin covered lump on the baby’s back at birth. Around 90% of people with lipomyelomeningocoele have markers on their back such as fatty lumps, birthmarks or deep dimples.
Types of Spina Bifida
Diagnosis
- Spina bifida can be diagnosed during pregnancy or after the baby is born. Spina bifida occulta might not be diagnosed until late childhood or adulthood, or might never be diagnosed. During pregnancy there are screening tests (prenatal tests) to check for spina bifida and other birth defects. Talk with your doctor about any questions or concerns you have about this prenatal test…
Treatments
- Not all people born with spina bifida have the same needs, so treatment will be different for each person. Some people have problems that are more serious than others. People with myelomeningocele and meningocele will need more treatments than people with spina bifida occulta. To learn more about treatments, visit the Treatments page.
Causes and Prevention
- We do not know all of the causes of spina bifida. The role that genetics and the environment play in causing spina bifida needs to be studied further. However, we do know that there are ways for women to reduce the risk of having a baby with spina bifida both before and during her pregnancy. If you are pregnant or could get pregnant, use the following tips to help prevent your baby from h…
Living with Spina Bifida
- Spina bifida can range from mild to severe. Some people may have little to no disability. Other people may be limited in the way they move or function. Some people may even be paralyzed or unable to walk or move parts of their body. Even so, with the right care, most people affected by spina bifida lead full, productive lives. Learn about living with spina bifida at different ages »
Overview
Symptoms
- Signs and symptoms of spina bifida vary by type and severity, and also between individuals. 1. Spina bifida occulta. Typically, there aren't any signs or symptoms because the spinal nerves aren't involved. But you can sometimes see signs on the newborn's skin above the spinal problem, including a tuft of hair, a small dimple or a birthmark. Sometimes, these skin marks can be sign…
Causes
- Doctors aren't certain what causes spina bifida. It's thought to result from a combination of genetic, nutritional and environmental risk factors, such as a family history of neural tube defects and folate (vitamin B-9) deficiency.
Risk Factors
- Spina bifida is more common among white people and Hispanics, and females are affected more often than males. Although doctors and researchers don't know for sure why spina bifida occurs, they have identified some risk factors: 1. Folate deficiency.Folate, the natural form of vitamin B-9, is important to the development of a healthy baby. The synthetic form, found in supplements an…
Complications
- Spina bifida may cause minimal symptoms or minor physical problems. But severe spina bifida can lead to more significant physical conditions. Severity is affected by: 1. The size and location of the neural tube defect 2. Whether skin covers the affected area 3. Which spinal nerves come out of the affected area of the spinal cord This list of possible complications may seem overwh…
Prevention
- Folic acid, taken in supplement form starting at least one month before conception and continuing through the first trimester of pregnancy, greatly reduces the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects.