10/25/2022 Wear a yellow ribbon this October!![]() Have you ever seen a yellow ribbon worn in October? If not, it's your chance to spread some awareness for spina bifida in October! Today is World Spina Bifida day, and October is spina bifida awareness month! What is Spina Bifida? Spina Bifida is a defect in the neural tube in which the baby's neural tube fails to develop in the first 28 days of the pregnancy, often before the mother even knows she is pregnant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, approximately 1,427 babies are born with spina bifida yearly. Women of Hispanic heritage have the highest rate of pregnancies with spina bifida compared to non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black women. In spina bifida, a portion of the spinal cord protrudes out from an opening in the spine, resulting in severe nerve damage. In babies, spina bifida is characterized by a fluid-filled sac on the back called a meningocele. The area along the spine, where the neural tube fails to develop into the backbone, results in an unprotected spinal cord impacting its development. An underdeveloped spinal cord can cause damage to the nervous system. The severity of birth defects depends on the location and size of the opening on the spine. What are the types of Spina Bifida? There are three types of spina bifida: myelomeningocele, meningocele, and spina bifida occulta. Myelomeningocele is the most severe spina bifida, with significant damage to parts of the spinal cord and nerves. Individuals with myelomeningocele have moderate to severe symptoms that limit their ability to move body parts below the level of the myelomeningoceleand loss of bladder and bowel control. Babies born with the second type, meningocele, do not show symptoms. Occasionally, nerve damage around the spine occurs, leading to loss of movement, bladder, and bowel control. In this case, during pregnancy, there is abnormal spine formation with a gap in the bones of the spine. Spina Bifida Occulta is also known as "hidden" spina bifida as it doesn't involve the sac of fluid out of the baby's back and, therefore not noticeable to the eye. The condition causes a small gap in the spine that is not often discovered until late childhood or adulthood and doesn't cause any disabilities. It is usually only found when an x-ray or ultrasound is performed for other reasons How is Spina Bifida Diagnosed? Spina Bifida can be diagnosed during pregnancy and after pregnancy. Most modern cases get diagnosed during pregnancy through a triple screening process. The Alpha-fetoprotein test is a blood test that measures the level of alpha-fetoprotein, or AFP, in a pregnant woman's blood. High alpha-fetoprotein levels indicate the baby may have spina bifida. An ultrasound imaging test generates pictures of the baby in the mother's womb, and spina bifida is often visible in these images. Amniocentesis – A sample of amniotic fluid from around the baby is taken from the womb and tested for AFP levels. Similar to the blood test, high AFP levels suggest the baby has spina bifida. ![]() Celebrating amazing people with spina bifida this month! Tanni Grey-Thompson is one of Great Britain's greatest-ever paralympic athletes, amassing 16 Olympic medals across five paralympic games in wheelchair racing events. She was born with spina bifida and has been paralyzed below the waist since she was seven. Since her retirement at 37, she has gone on to campaign for the rights of individuals with disabilities, support charities, and help advance British sports in her role as the chairwoman of Welsh Sports. Tanni Grey-Thompson is a stellar example of not letting the challenges of a disability stop her from achieving massive success throughout her life. She received the Damehood, or DBE, from the English Monarchy for her services to disabled sports and is also an independent member of the house of lords. Her story and stories from other spina bifida patients should be celebrated this month to inspire others and remind everyone that the only limitations are the ones we set for ourselves.
Joe
10/27/2022 08:39:46 am
Dan, thanks for the insight. I did not know what the yellow ribbon signified, nor did I understand how spina bifida occurred. Your article has certainly raised my Awareness! Your reference to Tanni Grey-Thompson is a perfect reminder that 'the only limitations are the ones we set ourselves'. Comments are closed.
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