Spina Bifida essays

Spina Bifida essays Spina bifida is a congenital defect that is present at the birth of a child. It is caused by problems with early development of the spine with the main defect being the failure of the closure of the vertebral column that is the bony column that surrounds the spinal cord. Without this closure, the spinal cord is not afforded the usual protection of the vertebrae, and is left open to either mechanical injury or invasion by However, spina bifida may be treated with utero surgery. While this is a risky yet promising procedure, it appears to improve short-term outcomes (Worcester, 2003). Dr. Joseph Bruner, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Vanderbilt, states that, "To date, more than 250 surgeries to repair the lesions associated with spina bifida have been performed at centers such as Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of California, San Francisco, and Vanderbilt University." In utero repair has several advantages over postnatal surgery. They include potentially fewer urinary infections, less gastrointestinal reflux, improved fetal leg function and cognitive development, and less need for shunt placement with The most reoccurring type of spina bifida is an opening in the spine that appears in the body midline anywhere from the neck to the buttocks area. This may be detected before birth and a pediatric surgeon may be available to perform surgery upon birth. Since the spinal cord is not developed properly, the defect may be much more subtle, and may, in fact, be covered with skin, while in spinal rachischisis, the most severe form of spina bifida, the entire length of the spine may be open. The cause of spina bifida may be a combination of genetic factors along with environmental influences that bring about malformation of the spine and spinal column. While all of the reasons that contribute to the ...