Getting enough calories and nutrients while receiving chemotherapy can help you with the following: 1  Feel better. 2  Maintain strength and energy. 3  Maintain weight.  Tolerate treatment-related side 1  effects. Decrease the risk of infection.  Heal and recover more 1  quickly. Boost your immunity.
Causes of Spina bifida. Spina bifida is a birth defect due to unknown causes in most situations. However, research shows that a deficiency of folic acid during early pregnancy can play a role in neural tube development. In addition, a family history of spina bifida increases the probability of the birth defect.
Spina bifida is more common among whites and Hispanics, and females are affected more often than males. Although doctors and researchers don't know for sure why spina bifida occurs, they have identified some risk factors: Folate deficiency. Folate (vitamin B-9) is important to the healthy development of a baby.