Spinabifida

Spinabifida is a birth defect often called neural tube defect. It can happen when

bones in the spinal

cord commonly known as your vertebrae dont form the correct way around the

babys spine. This birth

defect can be mild or in some cases severe. About each year 1,500 babies are born

with neural tube defect.

The mild form of spina bifida is the most common. This for doesnt typically need

treatment. You normally cant see it but some who have it usually have a dimple,

birthmark or hairy patch on their back from the defect. But the downside is since
the defect isnt so visual most people usually cant tell when they have until they

get back x ray.

The more severe form of spina bifida is named meningocele. With this form of the

defect fluid drips from the spine & goes against skin. Typically, you will see a bump

in the skin. There arent any other known symptoms.

A rarer but severe form of neural tube defect is myelomeningocele. Its usually what

people mean when they speak on spina bifida. Some of the nerves in the spine are

being pushed out of the spinal canal and in most cases are damaged. With few

babies the skin is pried open and the nerves are shown.

The future for the kids born with spina bifida is very bright! General population go to

school at the same rate at kids without this birth defect. 90 percent live normal in

their adulthood, 80 percent have normal intelligence and about 75 percent

participate in sporting events. But for some of them time and treatment plays a

huge role in their future. Such as if a child were to be born with advanced

hydrocephalus they could still have average intelligence if no brain abnormalities

occur.
My topic will continued to be researched for the better. Even though there is no

cure, there will always be a better treatment out there. But maybe as time goes on

there will be a cure or it will cease altogether. The kids who have been born with

this will continue to be successful in all they do!

I feel as if spina bifida honestly isnt talked about enough as much as other birth

defect such as Sickle Cell and Down Syndrome. So yes I do think this topic should

continue to be researched for those families in need of more insight on spina bifida

for the better of their child. This topic is not the more pleasant one to research but

is very insightful. It makes me think twice about all the kids out there born with this

neural tube defect and many more.

The great thing of my topic, spina bifida is that no child is stopped, they all continue

to persevere. As said paragraph 3 they are right on track. A great pro is that there is

a way that a mother can prevent her child from getting spina bifida. As far as cons

goes some kids are at risks for this birth defect just because their parent/parents

had it as a child. With that sometimes obesity, uncontrolled diabetes or even

seizures.
Benfits of spina bifida it isnt many but, there are some. Of course there is no cure

just treatment. But one surgery that is very common for mom who find out their

baby has this birth defect is working on the spinal cord while the baby is still in the

womb. This surgery is when they take the babys spinal cord and pushes it back up

into spinal cord. This surgery can also take place to lessen the complications \of the

severe type of this birth defect.

8I dont see how a birth defect would benefit anyone. However, is does a benefit a

small handful of women. It does benefit our Black women more than our White and

Hispanic women. Also it tends to target women with low socioeconomic status.

Concerns I have about this birth defect is that it will continue to spread and never

cease. That the babies born with this defect will be judged. That they will not be

looked at as normal. Also that they wont be able to have regular lives!

Spina bifida first came about in 1618 between 1652, almost 20,000 years ago.

Discovered by Professor Nicholas Tulp. The way he discovered it was by studying

some symptoms but didnt give it the name of spina bifida until about 100 years

later in 1761. An Italian, Giovanni Battista Morgagni discovered hydrocephalus

which were the main causes leading to spina bifida