19 Dec How is myelomeningocele evaluated and treated?
Myelomeningocele is a type of spina bifida. Spina bifida occurs when a baby’s spine (back bone) does not form normally during pregnancy. The baby is born with a hole in the bones of the spine.
A myelomeningocele is a sac of contains:
- Part of the spinal cord.
- The membrane that covers it (meninges).
- Cerebrospinal fluid.
- The sac pushes from the hollow of the spine all the way to the skin. And it can be seen on the baby’s sword.
The signs and symptoms of a myelomeningocele (also known as open spina bifida) depend on where you are. A myelomeningocele can
lead to:
- Weakness, loss of sensation, or trouble moving the parts of the body below the myelomeningocele.
- Sphincter control problems.
- Excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.
- Problems in how the brain is formed.
- Learning problems.
- Babies with myelomeningocele are sometimes born with other medical problems such as clubfoot, an excessive curvature of the spine, hip problems, heart problems, or kidney (kidney) problems.
All types of spina bifida occur in the first month of pregnancy. At first, the fetal spinal cord is flat. It then closes into a tube called neural tube. If the neural tube does not close completely, the baby is born with spina bifida. In myelomeningocele, a sac that contains a part of the marrow spinal cord, its meninges and cerebrospinal fluid push out from the hollow of the spine until it reaches the skin.
After delivery, a baby born with a myelomeningocele will need:
- Surgery to close the skin over the myelomeningocele (usually within 3 days of birth)
- Have tests to see if you have an Arnold Chiari anomaly and/or hydrocephalus, such as an ultrasound, CT scan (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Regular head size checks to see if you are developing hydrocephalus
- Regular checkups of the baby’s movements to see how the spinal cord and nerves are working.
- To perform a procedure to treat myelomeningocele or spina bifida, it is necessary to go to an expert such as a Pediatric Neurosurgeon for assessment and to schedule a procedure.