Prophylaxis of spina bifida | Spina bifida

Prophylaxis of spina bifida

To prevent spina bifida, the mother must take in sufficient folic acid, a vitamin, during pregnancy. Neural tube defects could thus be prevented. If pregnancy is planned, folic acid preparations (4 mg a day) should be taken at least 4 weeks beforehand.

However, this prophylaxis is only useful in the first weeks of pregnancy. After that, the development of the neural tube is complete and can no longer be influenced. If you wish to have a child, 4 mg folic acid should be taken daily before conception and up to 4 weeks after conception.

Prognosis of spina bifida

Spina bifida occulta has a good prognosis. In most cases it is a chance finding on X-rays. The prognosis for spina bifida cystica depends on the location and extent of the cyst. In most cases, children are confined to a wheelchair for life.

Summary

Spina bifida is a congenital malformation of the spinal canal. Due to the lack of folic acid in the third and fourth week of pregnancy, the spinal canal is only partially closed in one place. This can lead to the leakage of nerve fluid, but also of spinal cord.

There are open and hidden forms. Some are directly visible, others are more likely to be found by chance on X-ray. The latter usually cause no complaints.

In spina bifida, in which cysts emerge from the skin, the symptoms range from paralysis to bladder dysfunction. In most cases, surgical closure is performed to prevent infection. Pregnant women should take sufficient folic acid as a preventive measure.