Symptoms Of Spina Bifida

Spina bifida is a neural tube defect babies are born with. It occurs when the spine and spinal cord fail to develop properly in the womb, causing a gap to form in the spine. The neural tube begins forming early on in a mother's pregnancy, and it closes one month after conception. In fetuses with spina bifida, however, part of the neural tube doesn't close correctly, which leads to a baby born with a defective spinal cord. The vertebrae of the spine may form at odd angles, which can cause more problems further in life. At present, it's not known what exactly causes spina bifida, though a lack of folic acid in early pregnancy is thought to play a role.