Can you live a normal life with spina bifida occulta?

Most babies born with spina bifida occulta go on live a normal, active life. Help your child get any needed medical care.

Does spina bifida cause muscle weakness?

The nerves that control the leg muscles don’t work properly below the area of the spina bifida defect. This can cause muscle weakness of the legs and sometimes paralysis. Whether a child can walk typically depends on where the defect is, its size, and the care received before and after birth.

Can spina bifida occulta become symptomatic adulthood?

TCS in adults is an uncommon entity that can become symptomatic. The long-term surgical outcome after tethered cord release in this patient population is generally favorable, as most patients report improvement or stabilization of their symptoms.

Is spina bifida occulta bad?

Outlook for spina bifida occulta SBO is a common and mild condition that rarely causes health problems. People with mild SBO usually don’t have a family history of the disease.

Does spina bifida get worse with age?

Spina Bifida in Adults Adults who have spina bifida face different problems than do children, including: Normal aging process including loss of muscle strength and flexibility, less physical stamina, and a decrease in sensory abilities tend to decline faster or more sever for adults with SB.

How do you fix spina bifida occulta?

When spina bifida occulta causes no symptoms, it requires no treatment. When it causes tethered cord, surgery to release the tether is sometimes recommended. In general, for any type of tether surgery, the bones of the spinal column are opened from behind to expose the full extent of the spinal cord tethering.

How does spina bifida affect learning?

These children often have problems with learning. They might have difficulty paying attention or work slowly, be restless, or lose things. They also might have trouble making decisions. There are activities that children can do at home and at school to help with these problems.

Do people with spina bifida have a shorter lifespan?

What this paper adds. The death rate from age 5 to 40 years in people with treated open spina bifida is 10 times the national average. Many deaths are sudden and unexpected. Survival to age 40 can be predicted from the neurological deficit at birth.

How does spina bifida affect adulthood?

Individuals born with spina bifida (myelomeningocele) face serious physical and social consequences, including paralysis, insensate skin, and potential social ostracism associated with loss of bowel and bladder control. Over time, muscle paralysis can produce contractures, joint dislocations, and spinal deformity.

What problems can spina bifida occulta cause?

However, a small number of people with more extensive spina bifida occulta may have some of the following symptoms: Foot deformity. Leg weakness, numbness, or clumsiness. Bladder or bowel dysfunction.

Do people with spina bifida have learning disabilities?

Many children with spina bifida do well in school. But some can experience difficulties, especially children with shunts that are used to treat hydrocephalus (often called water on the brain). These children often have problems with learning.

Who is the oldest person with spina bifida?

Albert De Greve
Oldest person living with Spina Bifida turns 90! Albert De Greve was born with a low lesion Spina Bifida in Zelzate, Belgium on 13 March 1923. During his adult life he worked as a tailor in his family’s business, riding his bike to work.