Spina Bifida Stats

Factors that increase risk of Spina Bifida include:

*Previous pregnancy affected by Spina Bifida

*First, second, or third generation relative living with Spina Bifida 

*Taking valproic acid or carbamazepine (anti-seizure medications)

*Having diabetes before the beginning of pregnancy (not gestational diabetes)

*Inadequate folic acid intake

*Pre-pregnancy obesity

*Low vitamin B-12 levels in the body

*Having high temperatures early in pregnancy (which may include fever, or exposure to the heat of hot tubs, saunas, and tanning beds)

*Ireland has the highest rate of SB in the world. Even in America, the highest rate of Spina Bifida occurs amongst those of Celtic descent. Followed by Guatemala. And among ethnic groups, Hispanics have a higher rate than other ethnic groups. Cause is unknown but it may be due in part to an inability of Hispanic women to absorb as much folic acid as non Hispanics. There are genetic and environmental and as yet undiscovered causes for SB, but this rise in incidence rate is likely due to Hispanics inability to absorb folic acid as efficiently as other ethnic groups.

*Worldwide the incidence of Spina Bifida is about 7 per 10,000 live births. Since there is 6,700,000 (6.7 billion) there is approximately 4.7 million living with Spina Bifida in the world. To put that into perpective that is MORE than the population of the Dallas Texas Metroplex.

*The abortion rate for Spina Bifida pregnancies is 64% worldwide!!! This explains why there arent even more births of babies with spina bifida.