Spina Bifida Health Video

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.

Take Action

Avoid drug or alcohol use
Make sure that child is screened regularly
Take folic acid daily during pregnancy

About this Author

Dr. Lyons is a general pediatrician that practices at the Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Washington. She went to medical school at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and did her pediatric residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She loves being able to share in the lives of young people every day.

DR. JENNIFER LYONS: Hi, my name is Jennifer Lyons, I'm a pediatrician at The Vancouver Clinic in Vancouver, Washington. I'm going to talk today about spina bifida. A birth defect is a problem that happens when a baby's developing in the mother's body. Some are mild and some are severe for some birth defects to causes not known. For others, genetics and maternal drug or alcohol use, prescription medications, trauma, infection or nutritional deficiencies can play a role. Spina bifida is one of the most common birth defects, it occurs within the first few weeks of pregnancy often before a woman knows she's pregnant. Spina bifida happens when the spinal chord and the bones of the spine do not completely close during the baby's development. A sac of fluid comes to an opening in the baby's back, the spinal chord can become damaged when this happens. Children born with spina bifida often have life long disabilities and need many surgeries. The problems that a person with spina bifida may face include not being able to move the lower parts of the body, lack of bowel and bladder control, fluid building up and putting pressure on the brain and learning disabilities. There is no cure for spina bifida, some children have problems that are much more severe than others. With the right care, most children with spina bifida will grow up to lead full and productive lives. The most important thing to know about spina bifida is that most but not all cases of spina bifida can be prevented. Folic acid is a B vitamin that the body needs to make healthy new cells. If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, her baby is less likely to have spina bifida or another defect of the brain or spine. Every woman who can possibly get pregnant should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily and a vitamin or in foods that have been enriched with folic acid.