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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffSpina bifida is part of a group of birth defects called neural tube defects. The neural tube is the embryonic structure that eventually develops into the baby's brain and spinal cord and the tissues that enclose them.
Normally, the neural tube forms early in the pregnancy and closes by the 28th day after conception. In babies with spina bifida, a portion of the neural tube fails to develop or close properly, causing defects in the spinal cord and in the bones of the backbone.
Spina bifida occurs in various forms of severity. When treatment for spina bifida is necessary, it's done through surgery, although such treatment doesn't always completely resolve the problem.
- Spina bifida fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spina_bifida/detail_spina_bifida.htm. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Spina bifida. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec19/ch292/ch292c.html. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Spina bifida, March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/4439_1224.asp. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Hochberg L. Prenatal screening and diagnosis of neural tube defects. http://www.uptodate.com/index/home.html. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Ask the doctor archive. Spina Bifida Association. http://www.spinabifidaassociation.org/site/c.liKWL7PLLrF/b.2738091/k.9A71/Risk_Factor.htm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2009.
- Cameron M, et al. Prenatal screening and diagnosis of neural tube defects. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2009;29:402.
- Routine tests in pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp133.cfm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2009.
- FAQs about folic acid. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/faqs.html. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Edwards MJ. Hyperthermia and fever during pregnancy. Birth Defects Research (Part A): Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 2006;76:507.
- Folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Rockville, Md.: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/150/9/626.pdf. Accessed Aug. 24, 2009.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 24, 2009.
