What is another name for spina bifida? Can a child with spina bifida be normal?

Another name for Spina bifida is “split spine” or “myelomeningocele.”

Can a child with spina bifida be normal?

Most children born with spina bifida have normal IQ, while  some experience learning difficulties.

What Is Spina Bifida?

Spina bifida, commonly known as split spine, is a birth condition in which the spinal cord and the spine are open during early pregnancy development.

Normally, the middle back or neck are not usually affected, like the lower back area.

However, it is believed that both hereditary and environmental factors can cause spina bifida.

Also, there is a probability that after a child is born with this defect, the subsequent child will likewise be impacted.

Eating foods low in folate (vitamin B9) both before and during pregnancy, as well as anti-seizure drugs, obesity, and poorly managed diabetes, can cause Spina bifida.

Spina bifida risk increases before birth if an amniocentesis or blood test reveals a high amount of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and on the contrary, medical imaging can confirm the diagnosis after birth.

If the mother consumes adequate folate before and during pregnancy, spina bifida can be avoided.