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.

Cryopreserved human umbilical cord patch shows promise in treating fetal spina bifida

A patch made from cryopreserved human umbilical cord may be a novel method for treating spina bifida in utero, according to researchers at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

12 Jul 2016

New research holds potential to improve fetal surgery outcomes

University of California, Berkeley engineer Phillip Messersmith is happy to be learning lessons from a lowly mollusk, with the expectation that the knowledge gained will enable him and fellow physicians to prevent deaths among their youngest patients -- those who haven't been born yet.

4 Jul 2016

New study may contribute to ongoing debate on fortification program

Fortifying the U.S. food supply with folic acid was not associated with a decline in certain birth defects that researchers expected to see in California, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

23 May 2016

Xiao procedure lacks efficacy for bladder control in children

Researchers at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital report the results of a double-blinded randomized controlled trial of the "Xiao procedure" in children with spina bifida.

3 May 2016

Excessive fat accumulation in lower extremities of children linked to insulin resistance, metabolic disorders

Children with a severe type of spina bifida called myelomeningocele have a high prevalence of obesity and excess fat accumulation in their lower extremities. In a study designed to assess bone, muscle and fat tissue distribution in the lower legs of children with this disease, researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles determined that this excess fat tissue is within the muscle boundary (muscle-associated) rather than subcutaneous.

15 Mar 2016

Latest and final review of health problems related to Agent Orange exposure during Vietnam War

The latest and final in a series of congressionally mandated biennial reviews of the evidence of health problems that may be linked to exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War changed the categorization of health outcomes for bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and spina bifida and clarified the breadth of the previous finding for Parkinson's disease.

11 Mar 2016

UTHealth researchers demonstrate new way to reduce preterm birth

Using nanoparticles to engineer a special drug, a team of researchers from McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has demonstrated in pre-clinical trials a new way to both reduce preterm birth and avoid the risks of medication in pregnancy to unborn babies.

5 Feb 2016

United Spinal denounces Uber's new Washington, D.C. TAXI WHEELCHAIR option as inadequate, unsustainable

United Spinal Association, today denounced Uber's new Washington, D.C. TAXI 'WHEELCHAIR' option that enables riders to request a wheelchair accessible taxi on-demand as "inadequate and unsustainable."

13 Dec 2015

Children with cleft lip or palate and spina bifida at increased risk for abuse

Children born with cleft lip or palate and spina bifida are at an increased risk for abuse before the age of 2, according to researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

11 Dec 2015

Researchers identify factors that increase risk of cardiac arrest during pediatric spine surgeries

Although the vast majority of pediatric spine surgeries are safe, a handful of neuromuscular conditions seem to fuel the risk of cardiac arrest during such operations, according to research led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

18 Nov 2015

Smartphone app may improve self-management skills in young patients with spina bifida

A system incorporating a smartphone app may help adolescents and young adults with spina bifida to improve their daily self-management skills, suggests a paper in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

23 Oct 2015

Fetuses with enlarged ventricles are not ideal candidates for fetal spina bifida surgery

Fetuses with enlarged ventricles--the fluid-filled cavities inside the brain--may be less likely than other fetuses to benefit from surgery in the womb to treat spina bifida, according to a study co-authored by researchers at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco.

16 Sep 2015

Prenatal repair of myelomeningocele reduces need for CSF shunt within 12 months of life, shows MOMS data

Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) investigators analyzed updated data on the effects of prenatal myelomeningocele closure on the need for placement of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt within the first 12 months of life.

15 Sep 2015

Study shows lack of folic acid enrichment in Europe causes foaetal abnormalities

A new international study shows that 5,000 foetuses in Europe annually are affected by spina bifida and other severe defects on the central nervous system. Seventy per cent of these pregnancies are terminated, while increased mortality and serious diseases affect the children who are born. At least half of the cases can be avoided by adding folic acid to staple foods as is already being done in seventy non-European countries.

29 Aug 2015

Age UK North Tyneside launches professional new care at home service

Age UK North Tyneside is announcing the launch of EveryDay – the new name of its professional independent care at home company – an enterprise which is committed to helping people keep their independence and stay at home for longer.

6 Aug 2015

University of Georgia's Lynn Bailey leads international paper on folate biomarkers

A University of Georgia researcher is lead author on an international paper on folate biomarkers as part of an initiative to provide evidence-based guidance for the global nutrition and public health community.

1 Jul 2015

Study on how maternal proteins help regulate initial cell divisions during early development

Researchers in the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center are visually capturing the first process of chromosome alignment and separation at the beginning of mouse development. The findings could lead to answers to questions concerning the mechanisms leading to birth defects and chromosome instability in cancer cells.

10 Jun 2015

New osteoporosis drug may also be useful for treating brittle bone disease

New research at the University of Michigan offers evidence that a drug being developed to treat osteoporosis may also be useful for treating osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease, a rare but potentially debilitating bone disorder that that is present from birth.

31 Mar 2015

Researchers find that weight-loss strategies sorely lacking for individuals with neurological disabilities

A review of nutrition and weight-loss interventions for people with impaired mobility found strategies are sorely lacking for people with neurological disabilities, according to a team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic.

10 Mar 2015

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation announces Quality of Life grants for 75 nonprofit organizations

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a leading nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life for individuals living with paralysis, announced it has awarded $600,137 in Quality of Life grants to 75 nonprofit organizations nationwide.

23 Feb 2015