Spina bifida, a birth defect, can have serious consequences on the baby. To avoid it, vitamin B9 must be taken before and during pregnancy.
- Among the things pregnant women need to watch out for is spina bifida.
- This congenital malformation can, in the most serious cases, threaten the life of the baby.
Among the 5000 pregnancies affected by neural tube defects in Europe each year, there is spina bifida. The neural tube forms during the fifth or sixth week of gestation and grows into the brain and spinal cord. Spina bifida is a congenital malformation characterized by the absence of closure of the posterior arch of one or more vertebrae. The majority of the cases remain inapparent… But, sometimes, the children have after-effects. This is the case of Evie Toombes, a 20-year-old English girl and yet a show jumping riding champion. Because of his spinal problems related to spina bifida, his mobility is very limited. In the years to come, her condition is expected to worsen and, eventually, she will have to use a wheelchair. At the same time, she also suffers from intestinal and bladder problems.
A young woman affected lodges a complaint against her mother’s doctor
The young woman is convinced of this: the suffering she is enduring could have been avoided… For her, the fault lies with her mother’s doctor who would not have advised her to take vitamin B9 before becoming pregnant. According to the newspaper The Sun, she believes that if that had been the case, her mother would have postponed her pregnancy until she had taken the necessary folic acid tablets – another name for vitamin B9. Evie Toombes therefore decided to file a complaint against her mother’s doctor for being born with bodily injuries and “bad design”. She is claiming millions in damages to compensate for her disability. The incriminated doctor denies all responsibility and considers that the advice given to his patient at the time was “reasonable”.
Taking folic acid helps prevent spina bifida malformation
According tonational spina bifida and associated disabilities association, a supply of folic acid is recommended at least one month before the start of pregnancy. This allows, at nutritional doses of 0.4 milligrams per day (mg/d), to significantly prevent in the embryo the occurrence of anomalies of neural tube closure (AFTN) and, at higher doses – 5mg/day – its recurrence. Often, pregnant women continue to take it for their first twelve weeks of pregnancy.
Several forms of spina bifida
There are two main varieties of spina bifida. That said concealed to start. In this case, the deficiency concerns only one, or more rarely, several posterior arches of vertebrae. This benign malformation is of no consequence. It is only visible on x-rays of the spine. Then there is also spina bifida aperta. Here, the opening of the bony arch of the vertebrae is associated with an opening of the meninges – membranes which surround the brain and spinal cord – backward. This opening is sealed by the skin. The pocket thus formed contains cerebrospinal fluid or even nerves. If the skin is deficient, this can leave all or part of the spinal canal and the skull open. The most serious aspects are easily recognized on ultrasound before birth. Often the vital prognosis for babies is poor. If they are born with this malformation, they will have serious consequences.
A malformation that must be diagnosed
Whatever the degree of severity of this malformation, the diagnosis must be made, because any woman who has given birth to a child with one or other of these forms is at risk of giving birth to another child who will be reached It is therefore essential to screen these women at risk.
In any case, to reduce the risks, it is best to take folic acid before and during pregnancy.
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