Spina Bifida Research Paper

In Canada, a clinical study by De Wals et al was performed to assess whether or not folic acid fortification has an effect on the recurrence of NTDs (neural tube defects), especially on upper and lower birth defects called spina bifida (De Wals et al., 2008). The study was performed in three different regions in Canada: the eastern, western and central provinces (De Wals et al., 2008). Furthermore, the population of the study was conducted on three different types of births which were livebirths, stillbirths, and termination of pregnancies, and the study was carried out through three periods included prefortification, partial fortification and full fortifications (De Wals et al., 2008). The researchers followed the scientific investigation

After researching about paraplegic and quadriplegic, it has been determined how they occur and in what parts of the body they affect. According to John Hopkins Medical, if a person suffers with paraplegic or quadriplegic, it is caused by damage to the spinal cord. To determine whether a person has a spinal injury, doctors will use clinical signs to help determine the severity of the injury. When the spinal cord has been injured, the patient might feel pain, and some disorders; such as motor or sensory. When this occurs, it allows the doctor to determine the cause of the injury, however; most spinal injuries are caused by traumatic accidents. The two

Birth defects, also known as congenital anomalies, is the second leading cause of death for infant accounted for 20.9 percent of all infant deaths in U.S in 2011 (U.S. Dept, 2016).

Spina Bifida literally means “split spine”. It is the most common permanent disabling birth defect in the United States. It happens when the brain, spinal cord do not completely develop. It is the most common neural tube defect in the United States- affecting 1500 to 2000 of more than four million babies in each year. An estimate shows 166,000 individual lives with Spina Bifida in the United States. I choose this disorder because many people do not about the effects, causes, symptoms and treatments about the disorder and I wanted to know more about spina bifida.

There are many symptoms of NF1 such as, Neurofibromas that are common tumors in NF that develop on or just under the skin but can appear deeper in the body, also neurofibromas are composed of nervous system tissue and fibrous tissue. However lisch nodules are clumps of pigment in the iris, and can confirm a case of NF. Most serious symptoms of NF are shown at birth or early in life, one of these symptoms is known as scoliosis. Scoliosis is curvature of the spine. Often children with NF also have learning disabilities that impact writing and use of numbers as well as having increased head circumference which on a rare case can cause hydrocephalus which can be a serious problem (Martin 1). (Martin,1)

If you were shown how to do any exercises to improve motion and strength in your back, do them as directed by your health care provider.

Although the exact causes are not known for sure, scientists believe there are both genetic and environmental factors that cause spina bifida. The fetus could have

In a women’s 2nd trimester of her pregnancy, she can have a blood test called the “quadruple screen” to determine if her child has spina bifida. The fetus and placenta give off a protein called AHP (maternal alpha-fetoprotein), which will appear in the mother’s bloodstream. If the test shows a higher than average level of AFP (maternal alpha-fetoprotein) then it may indicate that the baby has a spinal opening. Sometimes doctors can diagnose with an ultrasound on the baby in utero, many times the malformation can be seen. However, the baby may not be diagnosed until birth. In this case, the doctor would run an MRI, CT, or X-ray to confirm the status of the

Below is a pie chart showing the ratio of children with birth defects to those without birth defects out of the total population. The blue portion of the chart represents those children born with the neural tube defects, and the purple portion refers to hose born without any kind of neural tube defect.

Spina Bifida means that you have a split in your spine. Scientist say that there are about 8 babies that are born with spina bifida a day. Doctors detect spina bifida by using MSAFP short for Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein. Other ways that spina bifida can be diagnosed is prenatal screening, Ultrasound and Amniocentesis. Causes of spina bifida is obesity, exposure to high temperatures, exposure to certain chemicals. 2,000 babies of the 4 million babies are born with spina bifida. Children with spina bifida have more problems walking, can have kidney problems and can also have some levels of sexual dysfunction. Spina Bifida usually don't have treatments but certain types of spina bifida can be treated with surgery, prenatal surgery, ongoing

This is the mildest form and is a small separation in one or more of the bones of the spine. This type of spina bifida usually won’t affect the spinal nerves so no signs or symptoms are

In addition to the complaint of low back, this patient may be exhibited signs and symptoms associated with L4-L5 disk herniation and to a lesser extent L5-S1 disk herniation. This area is the most common place for a disc to herniate, on the account of the amount of weight these vertebral segments carry and due to their range of motion. A disk herniation at the L4-L5 can cause nerve root impingent resulting in a L5 radiculopathy. The symptoms that arise from a radiculopathy can cause an array of symptoms. In addition to the low back pain, pain may radiate into the buttock and down the leg and into the foot. Neurological symptoms can include muscle weakness, parasthesia, and sensory loss in dermatomal distribution. For the L5 nerve root this

The clinical features alters, depending on the anatomic portion of the cord which is mainly involved. The patients most typically present with insidious onset of clumsiness or slowness in the hands and lower extremity. They may also complain worsening of and writing in the past ranging from few months to weeks, difficulty with holding and grasping or diffuse numbness or tingling sensation in hands.

Due to the anterolateral tract in the spinal cord, which controls the processes of pain and touch, there would be absence of light touch, vibration, and position of sense ipsilateral, below the area of trauma. Loss of bladder and bowel control may be a symptom. Damage to the lateral corticospinal tract causes paralysis on the same side of the injury (Monoplegia), and damage to the lateral spinothalamic tract causes absence of pain and temperature sensation on the contralateral side of the body to which the trauma occurred.

If fusion occurs in cervical level it causes restriction of motion, short neck, torticollis, and neurological abnormalities of variable degree, depending on the extent of involvement and the type and number of the associated malformations. Abnormal degrees of motion at the unfused levels may be responsible for impingement on neural structures. Although block vertebrae are most commonly found in the cervical region, they can also be found throughout the spine. Individuals with block vertebrae, when viewed through MRI, typically show calcified disk space, fusion of apophyseal joints, and malformation or fusion of the spinous processes. They may also suffer from muscle weakness and/or atrophy, and neurological sensory loss. Vertebral fusion is often limited to the thoracic and lumbar spine in ankylosing spondylitis where spinal abnormalities initially appear in the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral junctions and may subsequently extend to the remainder of the spine. Classic radiographic abnormalities include thin, vertically oriented syndesmophytes [4]. Congenital deformities of the spine 0.5/1000 births [5], identified at birth are due to anomalous vertebral development in the embryo caused by genetic and environmental influences that occur during somitogenesis around the third week after fertilization. Minor bony malformations of all types occur in 12% of the general population and are usually not apparent, often diagnosed only on routine chest films or