What Are the Causes of Spina Bifida Occulta?
Spina bifida occulta is one of a variety of congenital defects. While the cause for spina bifida in general is uncertain, there are some habits, treatments, and resources that patients may undertake or utilize in order to decrease the chances of a baby being born with spina bifida.
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Explanation
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Spina bifida occulta literally means "hidden split spine", though the condition is not typically as painful as it may sound. Essentially, spina bifida occulta ranges from its most common form (a bone anomaly) to its much less-common (but more painful) forms, which range from tethered spines to extra growths or deficiencies in the spinal column.
Causes
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The exact cause of spina bifida (occulta or otherwise) is unknown, but various factors play a role. Those factors include genetics and the environment.
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Hereditary Causes
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A child may be more likely to have spina bifida occulta if a parent or direct sibling is born with the disease. According to the Spina Bifida Association of America (SBAA), a child is 5 to 10 times more likely to be born with spina bifida if a "first generation relative" also has the disease. There does not seem to be a direct correlation between specific types of defects; a sibling of an "occulta" patient will not necessarily be born with "occulta", but may be afflicted by another type of the defect.
Environmental Causes
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Little is known concerning the possible environmental causes of spina bifida, but proper folic acid levels before and during early pregnancy seem to decrease the risk of spina bifida. According to www.emedicinehealth.com, children with spina bifida have an exceptionally high metabolism rate concerning folic acid, which may suggest the defect is caused by a factor other than a deficiency of folic acid.
Warning
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This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. Always consult the proper medical authorities if you suspect that you or someone else has any condition whatsoever. This article is not intended to trump any medical advice or input given by a medical professional.
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