WHAT IS SPINA BIFIDA?

Spina bifida is a birth defect that can result in paralysis, loss of bowel and bladder control, water on the brain (hydrocephalus), and learning disabilities. Eighty to ninety percent of infants born with spina bifida live despite the complications. Another neural tube defect (NTD) called anencephaly, however, is fatal. The NewsHour Health Unit is funded by a grant from The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

 

Online Focus: Folic Acid-- Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy Browse the NewsHour's coverage of health   CDC -- Folic Acid March of Dimes Folic Acid Campaign Spina Bifida Association of America	Researchers believe that 50 to 70 percent of NTD cases can be prevented if a mother has a sufficient amount of folic acid in her body prior to, and in the very first stages of pregnancy. Most multivitamins contain the recommended 400 mcg, as do many cereals and fortified foods. Tragically, a lack of public awareness and frequent unplanned pregnancies result in thousands of children born with this preventable birth defect every year. The beginning of an NTD occurs at the very beginning of a pregnancy, before most women even know they are pregnant. An embryo's neural tube develops between the 17th and 30th day after conception. The neural tube later grows into the baby's spinal cord, spine, brain, and skull. Spina bifida occurs when the lower end of the neural tube fails to close properly, leaving the spinal cord exposed to the amniotic fluid. Some babies with spina bifida develop a protrusion on their lower back that holds some of the spinal cord. Anencephaly occurs when the upper end of the neural tube fails to close. In this case, the brain never develops, or only slightly develops. Most cases of anencephaly result in miscarriage or death immediately after giving birth.