Share With Those Who Care Spina Bifida Association of Delaware
PO Box 807 Wilmington, Delaware, 19899 Spina Bifida is a birth
defect which involves damage to the spine and nervous system.
Spina Bifida means that the vertebrae and the spinal cord did
not form properly as the fetus developed in the motherís womb.
There are three forms of Spina Bifida. The mildest form,
occulta, is harmless and may never be detected. The second is
called meningocele, and can cause weak muscles and poor skin.
The third and most serious condition is called myelomeningocele.
When this condition occurs the spinal column does not form
properly leaving the spine split in two. This usually results in
paralysis of the legs and no control of the bowels and bladder.
Spina bifida is often accompanied by hydrocephalus (water on the
brain)which can be controlled by a surgical procedure called
shunting. Children with SB also have a condition called Arnold
Chiari Malformation type II, an abnormality of the two parts of
the brain. Most of the c