Spina Bifida Research Paper

Spina Bifida is a neural tube defect that occurs in the first trimester of the pregnancy. Spina Bifida is when the neural tube does not close properly, it literally means split spine. Normally, during the first month of a pregnancy, the two sides of the baby's spine join together to cover the spinal cord, spinal nerves, and meninges. Meninges are the tissues covering the spinal cord. The brain and spine at this point are just in the beginning stages of development. It is called the neural tube. Any birth defect involving the incomplete closure of the neural tube is referred to as Spina Bifida. There are three different types of Spina Bifida so not everyone's symptoms and stories are the same. The three types are called Spina Bifida occulta, …show more content…
This is the rarest type of Spina Bifida. The spinal cord is not affected. There are only mild disabilities. A sac pokes through a hole in the spine that contains the coating that protects the spinal cord, and also contains some spinal fluid. The final type of Spina Bifida I am talking about is called Myelomeningocele. This is the most severe type of Spina Bifida. In this type of Spina Bifida, the unfused part of the spinal column allows the spinal cord to protrude through an opening. This is sometimes called "open Spina Bifida." The meningeal membranes that cover the spinal cord also protrude through the opening over the spine. This forms a sac enclosing the spinal element. The spinal elements include meninges, cerebrospinal fluid, and parts of the spinal cord and nerve roots. Some affects of Myelomeningocele are leg paralyzation, the person could have trouble urinating or having a bowel movement due to the fact that the nerve damage makes it hard for them to sense when they need to go. There are other health problems associated with this type of Spina Bifida such as Hydrocephalus, Arnold-Chiari malformation, tethered spinal cord, and latex