Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect compatible with life. Approximately 166,000 individuals in the United States have Spina Bifida. It’s a type of birth defect that occurs when a baby’s neural tube fails to develop or close properly – the literal meaning for Spina Bifida is “split spine.” It occurs within the first 28 days of pregnancy while the neural tube is forming, often before a person knows they are pregnant. Commonly referred to as a “snowflake condition”, no two people living with Spina Bifida are impacted the same as it can range from mild to severe types. The severity depends on everything from the size of the opening to the location on the spine.
Doctors and scientists are unsure about the cause of Spina Bifida, but it is believed that a complex mix of both genetic and environmental factors act together to cause it. Every woman of childbearing age is at risk of having a pregnancy affected by a birth defect. These factors present themselves very early in the pregnancy, as early as the fourth week. Although the exact causes of Spina Bifida are unknown, research has found folic acid may aid in preventing neural tube defects like Spina Bifida.