SPINA BIFIDA

SPINA BIFIDA

• Spina Bifida is also referred to as split spine.
• Doctors do not know exactly how the disease is caused, but suspect that genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors all play a role. Research shows that an insufficient intake of folic acid (Vitamin B) in the mothers diet is a key factor in cause spina Bifida and other neural tube defects.
• (Spina Bifida Fact)

BACKGROUND

• The history of this disease traces back almost 12,000 years when Professor Nicholas Tulp of Amsterdam named the disease. Spina bifida is a type of birth defect called a neural tube defect. It occurs when the bones of the spine (vertebrae) don't form properly around part of the baby's spinal cord.
• (Spina Bifida Topic Overview)

TRANSMISSION

• Spina Bifida does not follow a strict inheritance pattern, but hereditary factors do play a role in transmission.
• It is believed that the mother not getting enough folic acid is a leading factor of the disease.
• If one parent has spina bifida, the chances of having a child with spina bifida are between 1 and 5 percent. If both parents have spina bifida, the chances of having a child with spina bifida increases to 15 percent.
• (Stöppler)

SYMPTOMS

• Spina Bifida can be diagnosed during the second trimester of a pregnancy.
• Closed neural tube defects are often recognized early in life due to an abnormal tuft or clump of hair or a small dimple or birthmark on the skin at the site of the spinal malformation.
• Maternal serum alpha fetoprotein (MSAFP) screening and fetal ultrasound measure the amount of protein made by placenta and fetus.
• (Spina Bifida facts)

AFFECTS

• Babies are primarily effected by this disease, but children and adults are also affected because it can be a life-long disease. Around 1,500 babies are affected every year.
• (History of Spina Bifida)

TREATMENTS

• There is no cure to spina bifida, however, there is a number of treatments.
• Surgery can be performed before the baby is born to reduce the defect.
• Surgery can also be done after birth on the defect.
• After, medication and physical therapy are the most common treatments.
• (Stöppler)

PREVENTION

• The best way to prevent the disease is to get folic acid into your diet while pregnant.
• Also, know your family has a history of neural tube defects.
• (History of Spina Bifida)

WORKS CITED

• "Spina Bifida Fact Sheet." : National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
• Stöppler, Melissa. "Spina Bifida and Anencephaly: Symptoms and Treatment." MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.
• "The History of Spina Bifida." Transitions and A Medically Complex Child. N.p., 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. Website