Question 1

if my brother has spina bifida, will i have a higher chance of having a child with spina bifida?

Accepted Answer

Yes but unreliable: As a true genetic link and/or mutation has not been established, we do understand that there is increased risk in a first generation relative with spina bifida.  However, most spina bifida is sporadic and difficult to establish a risk.

Question 2

hiya i was just wondering if a child with spina bifida has different dna by any chance as iv done a paternity test on my sons alleged father and i was so sure he was his and it's come back as he isn't was just curious if the test can be affected by my chi

Accepted Answer

Paternity test is ok: Spina bifida does not affect your child's DNA. The paternity test looks for common parts of DNA between your current boyfriend and the baby.

Question 3

hiya my boy is 8 months old and has spina bifida iv recently done a paternity test for the alleged father and i was 100% sure he was my sons father but its come back as hes not.. can the dna be affected with a child with spina bifida.. can this be a false

Accepted Answer

No: The Dna paternity test cannot be affected by your son's spina bifida. You will have to consider another partner as the biological father.

Question 4

common problems arising from a child of ten having spina bifida?

Accepted Answer

Depends: Urinary incontinence and constipation, of course. That is lifelong. Problems due to insensitivity of the skin, specifically the bottoms of the feet if the child is able to walk. The extent of the problems depends on the level of the lesion. Lumbosacral? Throacolumbar? Thoracic?

Question 5

what are the chances my child will have spina bifida if a prior child had the condition?

Accepted Answer

2-5%: Spina bifida incidence is about 1-2/1000 so having 1 child with it puts the next child at about 50-fold increased risk.

Question 6

can my child have a normal life with spina bifida? i just found out with prenatal tests that my baby has a severe form of spina bifida. he will most likely be paralyzed. i want to have him anyway, but im scared his life will be too hard.

Accepted Answer

First, : First, every child is a blessing, and quality of life is what you make of it.  Second, it's difficult to determine the severity of deficit on the basis of a prenatal ultrasound.  With a team-oriented approach to care, children with spina bifida can do very well.  One of my personal friends is the chair of neurosurgery at the university of michigan medical center in ann arbor, and she has spina bifida also.  Your baby will likely need surgery within the first view days of life to close the defect with skin to prevent infection.  Your baby may also need a ventriculo-peritoneal or ventriculo-subgaleal shunt - another operation.  Children with spina bifida also have varying degrees of kidney and bowel problems as they get older depending on the severity of the deficit.  Since your location is given as rochester, ny, you might want to get in touch with dr howard silberstein, the pediatric neurosurgeon at strong memorial hospital, which has a comprehensive program for children with spina bifida.

Question 7

are there any gene therapies to prevent your child from having spina bifida?

Accepted Answer

No: Taking Folic Acid preconception will lower the risk for spina bifida by 30%.

Question 8

can there be some other parent out there who has a child with pituitary dwarfism & spina bifida combined?

Accepted Answer

Spina bifida: In over thirty years of caring for both disorders I have not seen both in one patient. This has to be an extremely rare combination of disorders.

Question 9

hi doctors, can scoliosis cause chest pain ? i had spina bifida as a child and operated on when born ,walk slightly with curved back.
thankyou

Accepted Answer

Neuromuscular : scoliosis causes chest pain. SB is a neuromuscular condition that causes muscle weakness, spasticity or paralysis, making them unable to support the spine, resulting in scoliosis.  If not fused in adolescence, scoliosis can progress in adulthood. Premature  arthritis of SB includes the spine &amp; worsens with age. Spinal cord tethering can occur at any age. See your SB team for evaluation &amp; treatment

Question 10

why is there squishy puffiness at the base of my spina bifida child's spine? he had a tethered cord surgery 4 years ago and it's around the scar.

Accepted Answer

Difficult to say.: It's hard to say without examining him. It could be anything from keloid to infection; please have his doctor see him this week.

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Doctor answers about:

Adopting a child with spina bifida

A member asked:

If my brother has spina bifida, will i have a higher chance of having a child with spina bifida?

A member asked:

Hiya i was just wondering if a child with spina bifida has different dna by any chance as iv done a paternity test on my sons alleged father and i was so sure he was his and it's come back as he isn't was just curious if the test can be affected by my chi

A member asked:

Hiya my boy is 8 months old and has spina bifida iv recently done a paternity test for the alleged father and i was 100% sure he was my sons father but its come back as hes not.. can the dna be affected with a child with spina bifida.. can this be a false

A member asked:

Common problems arising from a child of ten having spina bifida?

A member asked:

What are the chances my child will have spina bifida if a prior child had the condition?

A member asked:

Can my child have a normal life with spina bifida? i just found out with prenatal tests that my baby has a severe form of spina bifida. he will most likely be paralyzed. i want to have him anyway, but im scared his life will be too hard.

A member asked:

Are there any gene therapies to prevent your child from having spina bifida?

A member asked:

Can there be some other parent out there who has a child with pituitary dwarfism & spina bifida combined?

A member asked:

Hi doctors, can scoliosis cause chest pain ? i had spina bifida as a child and operated on when born ,walk slightly with curved back. thankyou

A member asked:

Why is there squishy puffiness at the base of my spina bifida child's spine? he had a tethered cord surgery 4 years ago and it's around the scar.

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