SPINA BIFIDA

Spina Bifida

Spina Bifida

Introduction

Spina bifida, also called myelodysplasia, is a disorder in which there is abnormal development of the bones of the spine, spinal cord, surrounding nerves, and the fluid-filled sac that surrounds the spinal cord, occurs between 26-28 days of gestation so. The problem is that neural structures are in varying degrees, in contact with the outside. It is a disease that is widespread and the 3 / 1000 of live births and 5 / 1000 of all newborns. If we also take into account the hidden rachischisis or have no clinical manifestations that percentage could increase to 25/1000. Neural tube defects are very severe congenital conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord and / or membranes that protect these organs. There are three types of these defects are anencephaly, encephalocele and spina bifida. (Volpe, 1995)

Types of Spina Bifida

1. Spina bifida occulta: is an opening in one or more bones of the spine that causes no damage to the spinal cord.

2. Meningocele: This is a very severe condition of spina bifida in which the meninges are the protective covering of the spinal cord beyond the exterior through an opening in the spine. The bag containing the part exposed to the outside is called meningocele. The bag can be as small as a nut or as large as a grapefruit can be corrected by surgery but it causes significant damage to the nerves that make up the spinal cord. This bag contains mainly meninges and subcutaneous fluid may also contain nerve roots.

3. Myelomeningocele: This is the most severe form of spina bifida. It consists of a protrusion of the internal nerves of the spinal cord through an opening in the spine and without a protective layer of the skin. Intraspinal fluid can gotearse outward and cause a serious infection. This condition usually occurs in the bottom of the spine, causing poor control of the bladder and intestines of the baby. Cord injury can affect the nervous tissue, meninges and blood, the meningeal sac containing a malformed spinal cord. (Thiagarajah, 1990)

Hydrocephalus develops in more than 80% of children with spina bifida, occurs when there is an increased cerebrospinal fluid that circulates in the brain and around it, also circulates around the spinal cord and the central canal. If there is a blockage in the circulation particularly in the aqueduct or around the base of the brain cerebrospinal fluid cannot be absorbed and the pressure starts to rise. (Sebire, 1997)

Etiology Spina bifida is a type of neural tube defect. These anomalies such as spina bifida (open spine) and anencephaly (open skull), are presented in one of every 2,000 live births. The causes of spina bifida include environmental and genetic factors. Although a family history of spina bifida increases the risk of having a child with spina bifida, it does not follow simple inheritance patterns. During pregnancy, the skull and spine begin to develop in the form of a flat plate of cells, which rolls into a tube called the ...