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. Although scientists believe that genetic and environmental factors may act together to cause spina bifida, 95 percent of babies with spina bifida are born to parents with no family history. Women with certain chronic health problems, including diabetes and seizure disorders (treated with certain anticonvulsant medications), have an increased risk (approximately 1/100) of having a baby with spina bifida.

Types of Spina Bifida
There are three types of spina bifida:

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 small bones (vertebrae) that make up the spine. 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 which they have for an unrelated reason. However, one in 1,000 individuals will have such neurological deficits or disabilities as bowel or bladder dysfunction, back pain, leg weakness, or scoliosis.

Meningocele occurs when the bones do not close around the spinal cord and the meninges are pushed out through the opening, causing a fluid-filled sac to form. The meninges are three layers of membranes covering the spinal cord, consisting of dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater. In most cases, the spinal cord and the nerves themselves are normal or not severely affected. The sac is often covered by skin and may require surgery. This is the rarest type of spina bifida.

Myelomeningocele accounts for about 75 percent of all cases of spina bifida. This is the most severe form of the condition, in which a portion of the spinal cord itself protrudes through the back. In some cases, sacs are covered with skin, but in other cases, tissue and nerves may be exposed. The extent of neurological disabilities is directly related to the location and severity of the spinal cord defect. If the bottom of the spinal cord is involved, there may be only bowel and bladder dysfunction, while the more severe cases can result in total paralysis of the legs with accompanying bowel and bladder dysfunction.

A baby born with spina bifida needs to have the exposed part of the spinal cord repaired to prevent further injury and infection. A neurosurgeon places the neural tissues back in the spinal canal and then closes the muscle and the skin. A plastic surgeon may get involved if there is a large area that is difficult to close. This procedure used to be considered a medical emergency, done a few hours after birth. Surgery is now most often completed within the first 48 hours of the baby’s life.

About 80 to 90 percent of children with spina bifida develop hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the ventricles (fluid-containing cavities) of the brain and may increase pressure within the head. Most of these children will require a ventricular shunt to control the build-up of spinal fluid. The shunt will remain in place throughout the individual’s life, but usually needs to be replaced several times.

Prognosis
If a child is paraplegic (has no movement in the legs from the hips down), he or she will need a wheelchair. If a child is born with movement of the thigh muscles and feeling down to below the knees, the chances are good he or she will be able to walk with some sort of brace support. When there are no brain abnormalities, the child may have average or above average intelligence, even if there is advanced hydrocephalus at birth.

Fortunately, with proper medical care, many children with spina bifida can lead active and productive lives. Twenty year follow-up studies of children with spina bifida show that they enter college in the same proportion as the general population, and many are actively employed. With recent advancements in medical care for these children, their outlook continues to improve.

NeurosurgeryToday.org
September, 2005

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