Caring For Patients With Spina Bifida

By Faizan Kabani, RDH, MHA, MBA, PhD

Spina bifida is a neurogenetic disorder with a complex etiology that involves genetic and environmental factors.¹ It is part of a larger group of congenital birth defects termed neural tube defects. These congenital birth defects affect various parts of the central nervous system, such as the brain, spine, and spinal column.² Spina bifida, the most common neural tube defect, is a largely preventable, noncommunicable, and permanently disabling congenital condition that results in the incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or meninges.³ Health disparities continue to exist for individuals with neural tube defects in both racial/ethnic and sex distribution. Hispanic individuals are at higher risk than non-Hispanics.⁴ Non-Hispanic whites are at higher risk than non-Hispanic blacks. In all racial and ethnic communities, women are at higher risk than men.⁴

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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