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Spina Bifida Research Paper

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Spina bifida is a nervous system disorder that takes place during the first month of pregnancy. It looks like a sac on the infants back, varying in size. In some cases, a part of the spinal cord and nerves can be enclosed in the sac. This can cause physical and neurological damage to the infant, the severity depends on the size and area of opening or if the spinal cord and nerves are affected.
The cause of spina bifida is unknown, however, it may play a role in genetics. Folic acid may also play a role in developing spina bifida, women who are pregnant are encouraged to take folic acid vitamins to help sustain adequate levels. It has been found that it is more commonly seen in Caucasian and Hispanic infants. The neural tube in the spine fails to close completely during the first month of pregnancy, making the vertebrae unable to form and enclose the spinal column correctly. While it endangers a vital part of the human body, the severity and damage to the infant can vary. There are 4 types of spina bifida: spina bifida occulta, closed neural tube defect, meningocele, and myelomeningocele.
Spina bifida occulta is the mildest form of this disorder, causing rarely any disabilities of symptoms. “Occulta” means “hidden”, referencing to the layer of …show more content…

In a women’s 2nd trimester of her pregnancy, she can have a blood test called the “quadruple screen” to determine if her child has spina bifida. The fetus and placenta give off a protein called AHP (maternal alpha-fetoprotein), which will appear in the mother’s bloodstream. If the test shows a higher than average level of AFP (maternal alpha-fetoprotein) then it may indicate that the baby has a spinal opening. Sometimes doctors can diagnose with an ultrasound on the baby in utero, many times the malformation can be seen. However, the baby may not be diagnosed until birth. In this case, the doctor would run an MRI, CT, or X-ray to confirm the status of the

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