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.

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

Fires prey on frail residents living on their own

They were asleep when the fire reached their home. Charles Rippey, 100, and his wife, Sara, 98, had been married 75 years. They died together, after a caregiver struggled to save them but couldn't get them out in time.

13 Oct 2017

Study highlights association of obesity with fecal incontinence in spina bifida patients

In the November 2017 issue of Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, Dr. Charlène Brochard and her colleagues from a spina bifida referral center in Rennes, France, report on the frequency of intestinal problems in 26- to 45-year-old patients with spina bifida.

9 Oct 2017

Researchers discover promising alternative to open fetal surgery for spina bifida repair

Researchers from Children's Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus recently discovered a promising alternative to open fetal surgery for spina bifida repair.

5 Oct 2017

Novel mussel-inspired glue could one day save lives of youngest patients

Whether to perform surgery on a fetus is a heart-wrenching decision. This type of surgery involves penetrating the highly delicate amniotic sac, increasing health risks to the fetus.

21 Aug 2017

Survivors of childhood diseases struggle to find care as adults

Rachael Goldring was born with congenital heart disease. Had she been born a few decades earlier, she probably would have died as a baby. Now 24, Goldring is part of a population of patients who present new challenges to a health care system unaccustomed to dealing with survivors of once-fatal conditions.

22 Jun 2017

Honda gives $1 million gift to Nationwide Children’s Hospital to enhance pediatric mobility

Nationwide Children's Hospital and Honda announced today a $1 million gift from the automaker to establish the Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement designed to enhance pediatric mobility.

20 Jun 2017

Study finds link between common household chemicals and birth defects in mice

A new study at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech has found a connection between common household chemicals and birth defects.

16 Jun 2017

University of Rhode Island students redesign toy cars to benefit children with disabilities

Who doesn't remember the simple joy of zipping around the yard in a toy car? Every kid should have that experience, and thanks to Lil' Rhody Riders -; an ongoing student leadership project at the University of Rhode Island - they can.

16 Jun 2017

KU Leuven researchers identify vital role of TET1 protein in earliest stages of embryonic development

In the earliest stages of embryonic development, a protein known as TET1 may be the factor that tips the balance toward health or disease.

18 May 2017

Researchers pinpoint gene that plays crucial role in formation of neural tube defects

Researchers have identified a gene that plays a key role in the formation of neural tube defects, a problem commonly found in infants of pregnant women with diabetes.

5 May 2017

New study finds link between neural tube defects in infants and neurodegenerative diseases

A new study has found a link between neurological birth defects in infants commonly found in pregnant women with diabetes and several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

10 Apr 2017

Researchers create first animal model of rare disease linked to problem of adrenal glands

The name of the gene is Armc5, for Armadillo repeat containing 5. Until now, its function was unknown. After 10 years of research, a team at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centrehas succeeded in deleting this gene in experimental mice and discovered that its loss gives rise to a heretofore unidentified syndrome.

7 Feb 2017

Researchers evaluate use of regenerative human umbilical cord for in-utero spina bifida repair

In a study to be presented Saturday, Jan. 28, in the oral concurrent session at 8:45 a.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, researchers evaluated a possible regenerative patch by using human umbilical cord in two studies titled Cryopreserved Human Umbilical Cord (HUC) vs Acellular Dermal Matrix (ADM) for In-Utero Spina Bifida Repair and the study Conventional vs cryopreserved human umbilical cord (HUC) patch based on repair for in-utero spina bifida in a sheep model.

23 Jan 2017

Researchers evaluate effects of laser tissue welding on spina bifida repair

In a study to be presented Saturday, Jan. 28, in the oral concurrent session at 8:45 a.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; IBEX, Logan, Utah; and Laser Tissue Welding Inc., Houston, Texas collaborated on a study titled, Evaluation of the effects of laser tissue welding on the spinal cord and skin in a 30 day study of simulated spina bifida repair in rabbits.