Spina bifida or "cleft spine" can come about in a fetus due to incomplete brain or spinal cord development or because of a defect in the meninges, the protective covering for the brain and spinal cord. It affects nearly 2,000 newborns in the...
Spina Bifida Occulta is a group of conditions that affect the spinal column, which is made of small bones called vertebrae. Affecting 10 to 20 percent of people who are otherwise healthy, Spina Bifida Occulta is relatively common and may not...
Having spina bifida is not only a physical condition, but often an emotional one. The feeling of being different and unable to do all the things that other people do may weigh heavily on the patient's mind. As legal and societal improvements erase...
Spina bifida transpires when the fetal spinal column does not completely close during her first month of pregnancy. This condition causes fetal nerve damage that can result in total or partial leg paralysis upon birth. Although no cure exists for...
Exercise, although an essential component of anyone’s health, is especially important for people with spina bifida, a congenital defect that can cause paralysis. Exercise prevents loss of conditioning, increases energy and promotes increased...
Spina bifida occulta is a neural tube defect that causes a deformity in one or more of the vertebrae, which are small bones that form the spinal column. Depending on the location and severity of the deformity, this condition can affect the legs...
Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the spinal cord. There are two forms of spina bifida--spina bifida occulta and spina bifida manifesta. Spina bifida occulta is the more common form of the defect that may affect as many as 24 percent of...
Spina bifida, a congenital defect involving the spinal canal, can result in paralysis and weight gain. According to 2009 report by the Spina Bifida Association, after age six, 50 percent of children, adolescents and adults with spina bifida are...
Spina bifida is a developmental defect of the spinal column where the vertebrae do not fuse, leaving a gap in the spinal column. This space can affect the signals the brain sends to the body, and vice versa. Spina bifida can affect range of motion...
In recent years, doctors have been experimenting with operating on fetuses with spina bifida between the nineteenth and twenty-fifth week of gestation while still in utero. The benefit of prenatal surgery is that it allows doctors to correct...
The single most important thing you can do to prevent spina bifida in your baby is to take folic acid (folate) supplements before and during pregnancy. Folic acid can significantly reduce the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects, but...
Receiving a devastating diagnosis for your child like spina bifida can trigger feels of anger, sadness and depression. That's perfectly normal. After a brief period of grieving for the child you hoped to get, embracing the child you got is...
Spina bifida occulta is the mildest and most common form of spina bifida, part of a group of neural tube defects. A neural tube is a structure in a human embryo that develops into the spinal cord, brain and tissues that enclose it. In spina...
During the second trimester of pregnancy, women have the opportunity to have a blood test to screen for birth defects. This is called the maternal serum triple or quadruple screen. This test only involves drawing blood from the mother and does not...
An estimated one out of every 800 babies in the U.S. are born with spina bifida myelomeningocele, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus service. Spina bifida myelomeningocele is a medical condition in which the spine and...
Spina bifida occulta is a physical deformity that occurs as a baby develops in the mother's womb. The bones around the spinal cord fail to develop normally, but the nerves don't generally have any damage. Skin on the child's back is generally...
Spina bifida is a condition that occurs as a fetus develops early in pregnancy. Depending on the type of spina bifida you have, this disease can possibly affect the spine, meninges and brain. It is characterized by an opening in the spinal column,...
Although spina bifida occulta is a mild birth defect that is rarely detected early, infants who are diagnosed with the disorder can benefit from certain exercises. The condition, which causes abnormal development of spinal column bones, is...
Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when the spine does not form correctly. The occulta form is the most common type of spina bifida, according to the Spina Bifida Association. Most people with spina bifida occulta have no difficulties,...
The spinal column is a structure of bones called vertebrae that protect the cable of nerves that run throughout the body. The general term for a group of conditions affecting the spinal column is spina bifida occulta. According to the Spina Bifida...
Spina bifida is a developmental birth defect that occurs when the brain, spinal cord or meninges do not fully develop. Each year, between 1,500 to 2,000 newborns in the United States are born with spina bifida, according to the National Institute...
A birth defect that damages the brain and spinal cord is called spina bifida. The nerves in the baby's spinal cord stop in the middle or end of the spine, leaving the child with no nerve receptors below. Fluid on the brain, or encephalitis, is a...
Spina bifida is the most common birth defect in the U.S. that can cause permanent disabilities. It occurs when the spine of a developing embryo fails to close completely, for reasons unknown. A combination of environmental and genetic factors may...
Spina bifida is characterized by the incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings. This condition occurs at the end of the first month of pregnancy and is typically detected before birth. Helping a toddler with spina bifida learn to...
Probiotics are live bacteria, often from the Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium families, that are similar to beneficial microbes found naturally in your gut. Bifidus is just one strain of good bacteria found in probiotic foods. Probiotics are...
Folic acid is the synthetic version of vitamin B-9, which in its natural form is called folate. This vitamin is an important part of the prenatal diet, as it can influence the development of children in the womb. A deficiency of folic acid in a...
Spina bifida is a spinal cord defect that develops when a baby's spinal cord is forming during the first month of pregnancy. An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 babies are born each year with spina bifida, according to the National Institute of...
Folic acid is the synthetic version of the B-vitamin folate. Your body needs folate to produce DNA and RNA in order to make new cells. Because fetal cells divide rapidly during pregnancy, an adequate supply of the nutrient is vital. If a...
Neural tube defects are the result of failed development of the brain and spinal cord during embryonic development. These defects include spina bifida (literally, open spine) and anencephaly (no head). A considerable number of human studies have...
Spina bifida is a birth defect involving the neural tube, resulting in an incomplete formation of the spine. Get expert tips and advice on treating and understanding spina bifida or split spine in this video.
Play a game of hoops from a wheelchair. Learn tips and techniques for playing wheelchair basketball in this adaptive sports video.
