I understand the importance of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month and advocating for breast self exams, mammograms and such. I really do. So, please don't mistake that. But I do wish that more people were aware that October is also Spina Bifida Awareness Month. There is no treatment or cure to get rid of it. Once you're born with it, you have it for the rest of your life. And it affects your life and that of your loved ones in a way that you can't imagine unless you do have it yourself. Its a lifetime financial cost of $532,000-$1,000,000....much of which hasn't always been paid by insurances because of the "pre-existing condition clause". It's urinary and fecal incontinence for most. It's pressure sores and shunts. It's deadly infections. It's a lifetime of surgeries, specialists and doctors' visits. It's deadly allergic reactions to latex for most. It's kids suffering ostracism from their schoolmates for "being different". Its mental and social issues for some. Its a minimum of 166,000 living with this disability in the US alone. Its abortions because moms cant handle dealing with these issues. In fact, according to a recent Wayne State University study of several countries, the study found that 64% of the children diagnosed in utero with Spina Bifida were aborted. 64%!!! There is no KNOWN cause. There are only hypothetical guesses as to why it occurs. It's an average of 8 babies per day in the US born with Spina Bifida or a similar defect of the brain or spine. Its that Hispanic mothers are 1-1/2 times more likely to give birth to a child with Spina Bifida than non-Hispanic Caucasians. It's the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the US--its more common than Muscular Dystrophy, Cystic Fibrosis and Cerebral Palsy(which are all well known and advocated for disabilities) combined. Currently, there are about 3.5 MILLION people with Spina Bifida in the world. Folic acid MIGHT HELP prevent it by as much as 75%.
So----what is "it"????? Spina Bifida is a neural tube defect that occurs when the spinal structure fails to form and close properly. This occurs in utero during the first 2-4 weeks after conception, before most women even know they’re pregnant. There are 3 main types of Spina Bifida: Occulta, Meningocele(pronounced like "my ninja seal"), and Myelomeningocele(pronounced like "Milo my ninja seal"). Occulta and Meningocele are a less severe form of Spina Bifida. People with these types of Spina Bifida may have minor disabilities or no problems at all. Myelomeningocele is the most common and severe form of Spina Bifida. Most people that have this form are almost always in a wheelchair. It is also the form of SB I was born with. This occurs when the meninges of the spine and spinal nerves actually come through the opening in the spine. This form of Spina Bifida can cause the most nerve damage resulting in disabilities. Spina Bifida isn't a birth defect of the poor, the malnourished, or the underprivileged. It knows no geographical or socioeconomic boundaries. The country with the highest rate of SB occurring is Ireland.
PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELVES!! If you'd like, you can ask me anything you'd like to know since the internet's info can be a bit overwhelming--and even incorrect. So when you're "thinking pink" for Breast Cancer Awareness, don't forget to "think teal" or "think yellow" for Spina Bifida Awareness too. The next kid born with Spina Bifida could be your own.
The Treatment of Spina Bifida by a New Method
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