Spina Bifida is a type of birth defect known as a neural tube defect, and this is because it is caused by a malformation of the neural tube. A child with spina bifida will have gaps between the vertebrae of the spine. In most cases, these spaces are so small that they are not noticeable and are not harmful, but severe cases of spina bifida can be painful and increase the risk of injury and infection.
Spina bifida is caused by a defect during the initial development of the embryo. At about the 28
th day of development, the embryo will form a structure called a neural tube. This structure will continue to grow and develop until it eventually becomes the spinal cord and vertebrae. In some babies, the neural tube develops incorrectly or fails to fully develop and close, and this is what causes spina bifida.
The medical community still has some questions about spina bifida and why the malformation of the neural tube occurs in the first place, but there is already a lot of information about environmental and genetic risk factors that increase or may cause spina bifida as well as methods that can help reduce the risk of developing spina bifida.
Folic Acid Deficiency
The most understood of spina bifida causes is folic acid deficiency. If the pregnant mother does not have enough folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, in her diet, there is a much greater chance the child will be born with spina bifida. Those who have increased risk of spina bifida are given folic acid supplements during pregnancy in order to lower the chance of the baby being born with the condition.
Epilepsy Medication
Another one of the recognized spina bifida causes is use of epilepsy medication by the mother. Anti-seizure medications such as carbamazepine and valproate have been linked to spina bifida, and it is important that pregnant mothers do not take these prescription drugs during pregnancy. If an expecting mother must take these drugs to manage her epilepsy or bipolar disorder, her doctor may decide to lower her dosage or provide her with folic acid supplements to decrease the chance of spina bifida.
Genetic Spina Bifida Causes
In addition to the clear environmental causes of spina bifida, there is also evidence that genetics can play a role in the development. If a mother has already birthed a child with spina bifida, the chance that her next child will have the condition is 60 times higher than an average woman. In addition, family history of spina bifida has a strong effect on whether a child will be born with the condition, so it is believed that some of the causes are genetic in nature.
Spina Bifida Causes Related to Health
Some of the causes of spina bifida are environmental and nutritional. In addition to folic acid deficiency, obesity in the mother is strongly linked to spina bifida. If a woman would like to become pregnant, but is obese and has family history of spina bifida, some doctors recommend that she reduce her level of obesity before becoming pregnant, because obesity. Research has also shown that maternal diabetes can result in the baby being born with spina bifida.
For many of these risk factors, the experts still do not know why or how these conditions cause spina bifida. If researchers can learn more about the causes of the condition, they may be able to develop more effective prevention strategies and treatment that can reduce the risk of spina bifida even for those who have family history, are obese, or have diabetes.
