Myelomeningocele (children)

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Spina bifida

Spina bifida (degrees of severity)

Myelomeningocele (children)

Alternative Names:

Spina bifida
Symptoms:

visible sac-like protrusion on the mid to lower back of a newborn
- not translucent when a light is shone from behind the sac
weakness of the hips, legs, or feet of a newborn

Spina bifida occulta may be indicated by:

a tuft of hair at the sacral area (back part of the pelvis)
dimpling of the sacrum

Signs and tests:

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Myelomeningocele is a visible defect after the child is born. Neurologic examination may indicate loss of neurologic functions below the defect. For example, response of the infant to pinpricks at various locations may indicate the level where sensation is maintained.

Prenatal screening:

During the first trimester, pregnant women can have a blood test called a triple screen. This test screens for spina bifida, Down syndrome, and other congenital diseases in the baby. Eighty-five percent of women carrying a fetus with spina bifida will show elevated maternal serum alpha fetoprotein (one of the three proteins measured in this blood test).

The triple screen has a high false positive rate, so if it is positive, further testing is required to confirm the diagnosis. A prenatal ultrasound is then done and is usually a reliable test for spina bifida. Occasionally amniocentesis (test of the amniotic fluid) is done.

After birth:

Spine X-rays may reveal the exact extent and location of the defect.
Spine ultrasound may show an abnormal spinal cord or spine.
Spine CT or spine MRI scan are occasionally used to determine the location and extent of the defect.