Spina Bifida News and Research

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Spina bifida is a neural tube defect that happens in the first month of pregnancy when the spinal column does not close completely. According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately one in every 2,000 children born in the U.S. is diagnosed with spina bifida. Risk factors include the presence of a neural tube defect in a previous child, lack of folic acid, some medications, diabetes and the mother's age. Most patients with spina bifida have neurogenic bladders. Neurogenic bladders function poorly and over time, without correction, can result in kidney damage and ultimately kidney failure.

Research team receives federal grant to study obesity in children with spina bifida

Children with spina bifida, a congenital condition of the spine and spinal cord, have a higher rate of obesity compared to typically developing peers. One barrier to better prevention of obesity is accurately assessing body fat.

10 Jul 2019

Children with birth defects have elevated cancer risk, study reveals

Childhood cancer is a rare occurrence in the overall population but may be somewhat more frequent in children born with birth defects.

26 Jun 2019

Cleveland Clinic surgical team performs its first in utero fetal surgery to repair birth defect

Cleveland Clinic has successfully performed its first in utero fetal surgery to repair a spina bifida birth defect in a nearly 23-week-old fetus.

19 Jun 2019

UK government to consider fortifying flour with folic acid to combat neural tube defects

A 12-week consultation has been launched to discuss whether folic acid should be added to flour in the UK.

13 Jun 2019

‘Eat nuts three times a week’ during pregnancy to improve your child's I.Q.

Eating nuts during early pregnancy may boost a child’s cognitive ability and I.Q., according to a new study by researchers in Spain.

8 May 2019

More than a quarter of new moms overlook postpartum care after giving birth, finds survey

The three trimesters of pregnancy are filled with doctor's appointments, preparations and careful surveillance of the health of both mom and baby.

8 May 2019

New approach to repair defects in fetal membranes could prevent life-long medical conditions

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London and University College London have developed a new approach to repair defects in fetal membranes which could prevent life-long medical conditions and disabilities associated with preterm birth.

23 Apr 2019

Researchers move one step closer to finding a cure for spina bifida

Researchers on the path to finding a cure for spina bifida have identified specific elements in stem cell secretions as key to protecting neurons and ultimately reducing the lower-limb paralysis associated with the birth defect.

8 Mar 2019

A unique study of spina Bifida shows surviving adults are more likely to live independently

A unique study of spina bifida patients found that while mobility tended to decline in later life, surviving adults were more likely to live independently.

23 Jan 2019

Researchers confirm link between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia

Newborns with vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, a team of Australian and Danish researchers has reported.

7 Dec 2018

Newborns with vitamin D deficiency have increased risk of schizophrenia later in life

Newborns with Vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Queensland report.

6 Dec 2018

UK set to fortify flour with folic acid to prevent spine defects among newborns

Public Health Minister Steve Brine added that the move would be discussed with the ministers and is likely to raise folic acid consumption among pregnant mothers.

24 Oct 2018

Carnegie professor receives NIH Director's New Innovator Award

Kathryn Whitehead, assistant professor of chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, has been awarded a 2018 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's New Innovator Award for her project titled "Fate, Function, and Genetic Engineering of Breast Milk Cells for Infant Therapy."

3 Oct 2018

New technology to deliver 3D images of embryo's neural tube as it closes

In those precious weeks before a woman even realizes she's pregnant, an embryo will have already developed a neural tube, a hollow structure made of cells which will eventually become the brain and spinal cord.

5 Sep 2018

Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian launch new Mothers Center

In time for Mother's Day, NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center announced the opening of the Mothers Center, a new space that will provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care before, during and after a high-risk pregnancy, starting later this month.

10 May 2018

No-carb diet for pregnant woman could harm fetus, study finds

A new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found that pregnant women and women wishing to get pregnant should avoid following diets that reduce or eradicate carbohydrates from their diet.

29 Jan 2018

Low carbohydrate intake linked to increased risk of having babies with neural tube defects

Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant may want to avoid diets that reduce or eliminate carbohydrates, as they could increase the risk of having babies with neural tube birth defects, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

25 Jan 2018

Newborns with spina bifida have sleep-disordered breathing in first days of life, study finds

New parents often hear about how important sleep is for their babies' development -- but some newborns may have more serious sleep challenges than others.

19 Dec 2017

$2 million grant funds new telemedicine program for children with disabilities

The UC Davis Department of Pediatrics has received a $2 million, five-year grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to fund a new telemedicine program for children in remote communities.

16 Nov 2017

Pilot study raises concerns about exposure of pregnant women to benzene in British Columbia

Université de Montréal research reveals that 29 pregnant women living near natural-gas hydraulic fracturing sites had a median concentration of a benzene biomarker in their urine that was 3.5 times higher than that found in women from the general Canadian population.

13 Nov 2017