Spina bifida is a congenital (inherited by birth) that affects the growth of bones in the vertebral column. The child’s spinal cord does not form properly and sometimes makes it difficult for the child to walk or carry on with daily activities. Birth defect occurs on the neural tube which later develops into spinal cord and baby’s brain with the surrounding tissues.
The neural tube is the structure that forms before the end of first month of pregnancy and it closes shortly after formation. But in babies with spina bifida the neural tube fails to close normally causing defective bone growth on the spine. This condition occurs from mild to severe form of deviation and no treatment is available for treating spina bifida except surgery.
Types :
Spina bifida occurs in 3 types according to the range of severity namely occulta, meningocele and myelomeningocele.
Spina Bifida Occulta :
It is the more common type of deviation that occurs in the mildest form. Children with this type will not show any symptoms of defect unless a spinal cord X-ray is taken for other reasons. The children will not exhibit any signs of neurological problem in this mild type. In rare cases the skin above the spinal cord will show some defects like collection of fat, accumulation of tuft of hair, discoloration of skin in the back, and a small birthmark indication in that area.
Meningocele :
This type exhibits moderate range of deviation in which the protective membrane or tissues surrounding the spinal cord protrude out through a small opening seen in the vertebrae. This can be corrected by surgery without causing any damage to the nervous system or spine. It is a rare type of spina bifida affecting the children.
Myelomeningocele :
This type is the most severe one in which the baby’s spinal cord remains open on many vertebrae of the back. In this type, the membranes and the connective tissues and the spinal cord grows out of the baby’s back protruding at the back. It forms a big sac on the back portion of the child making him vulnerable to many infections.
This type of spina bifida would cause severe problems with the nervous system of the child like muscular weakness, paralysis (partial or full), seizures, bowel problem and many orthopedic issues like deformed feet and irregular hips making him difficult to walk.