Characteristics of SB

There are four types of SB (NINDS, 2006):

1. Occulta is the mildest form of SB as well as the most common.  With occulta, one or more vertebrae are malformed. Because a layer of skin usually covers this defect, it is referred to as “hidden.” Symptoms or a disability are usually not present.
2. Closed neural tube defects comprise a diverse group of defects where the fat, bones, or membranes are involved. Some individuals may have no symptoms; others present with incomplete paralysis, as well as urinary and bowel dysfunction.
3. With a meningocele, the meninges (the covering of the spine and brain) bulge from the opening in the spine. Patients may have few or no symptoms, or those similar to the closed neural tube defects.
4. Myelomeningocele is the most severe form of SB. When the spinal cord is exposed through the opening in the spine, partial or complete paralysis is the result, along with urinary and bowel dysfunction.

Meningocele and myelomeningocele are known as spina bifida manifesta. These two types occur in approximately one out of every one thousand births. Of the babies born with these two types of SB, 4% have a meningocele and 96% have a myelomeningocele (National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities [NICHCY], 2004). Additional physical effects may include:

• muscle weakness or paralyses below the cleft
• loss of sensation below the cleft
• loss of bladder/bowel control
• hydrocephalus (collection of fluid on the brain)

Additional complications can range from mild physical impairments to paralysis and cognitive delays. However, most individuals with SB have normal intelligence. Other complications associated with SB include a Chiari II malformation, in which the brainstem and cerebellum are compressed in the spinal canal (NINDS, 2006). Symptoms of a Chiari malformation may include a block in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, dizziness, muscle weakness, numbness, vision problems, headaches, balance or coordination problems.

Newborns with a myelomeningocele may develop meningitis, as the two conditions are frequently present together. If not treated,  permanent brain damage as well as death may occur.

If hydrocephalus is present with spina bifida, the child may have developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, attention difficulties, speech and language delays, as well as reading and math difficulties. Further, as they become older, some children may also suffer from latex allergies, skin conditions, gastrointestinal problems, and depression.