Myelomeningocele--Spina Bifida in Babies
Myelomeningocele, or spina bifida, is a disorder that affects about 1,500 babies annually. The disorder itself is a malformation of the spine causing the protrusion and deformation of the lower spinal cord. When a child suffers from spina bifida, if untreated, they are born with their spinal cord exposed or covered just by a thin layer of skin. The ultrasound below shows what the protrusion looks like on an ultrasound of the developing fetus.
Though spina bifida is not a life threatening disorder, it does cause meningitis, weakness and paralysis in infants. When presented with an ultrasound like the one above, a doctor would talk to the mother and father about treatment options to drastically improve the quality of life and keep the infant safe through delivery and their first few days. If the condition goes unnoticed,it can cause birth complications as well as subsequent problems with the infant’s bowel and urinary bladder later on in development.