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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Illustration of spina bifida Spina bifida

Doctors aren't certain what causes spina bifida. As with many other problems, it appears to result from a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors, such as a family history of neural tube defects and folic acid deficiency.

Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. Spina bifida fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/spina_bifida/detail_spina_bifida.htm. Accessed June 28, 2011.
  2. Lightner DD. Spina Bifida. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..00028-8--sc29020&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&sid=1180550958&uniqId=266655520-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..00028-8--sc29020
  3. Spina bifida. March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/4439_1224.asp. Accessed June 27, 2011.
  4. Sandler AD. Children with spina bifida: Key clinical issues. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2010;57:879.
  5. Folic acid: Questions and Answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/faqs.html. Accessed June 29, 2011.
  6. Spina bifida. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/spinabifida/facts.html. Accessed June 30, 2011.
  7. Hochberg L. Prenatal screening and diagnosis of neural tube defects. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 30, 2011.
  8. Routine tests in pregnancy. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp133.cfm. Accessed June 30, 2011.
  9. Adzick NS, et al. A randomized trial of prenatal versus postnatal repair of myelomeningocele. New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;364:993.
  10. Surgery on fetus reduces complications of spina bifida. National Institutes of Health. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/020911-MOMS.cfm?renderforprint=1. Accessed June 30, 2011.
DS00417 Oct. 4, 2011

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