Spina Bifida In Jan Tecklin's Pediatric Physical Therapy

Imagine a couple who has just found out that they are pregnant. Just like other parents, they want nothing more than to have a happy, healthy baby. Last year, these parents were my neighbors. Although they did not know it, their daughter Kelsey was going to be born with spina bifida and have no feeling in her lower left leg because of it. Most people have never even heard of spina bifida or know what it is. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Each year, about 1,500 babies are born with spina bifida” (“Data and Statistics”). This is a problem and it should not go unnoticed. We need to educate people on the importance of this defect and what can be done about it. In Jan Tecklin’s book, Pediatric Physical Therapy, he states that “spina bifida is the second most common birth defect after Down syndrome” (163). Spina bifida includes any birth defect where the spinal canal is not completely closed. It is considered to be a neural tube defect or an NTD. The

This form does not cause nervous system issues and can sometimes go undetected. It is defined as “a condition is which the bones of the spine do not close but the spinal cord and meninges remain in place and skin usually covers the defect” (“Myelomeningocele”). The meninges are membranes that cover the central nervous system. Symptoms include a dark spot or an area with less skin color, a lump, or a dimple over the affected area. This usually occurs on the infant’s lower spine. Not all of these symptoms indicate that a person has spina bifida. Because this type is not as harsh as the other two, it can only be detected through an examination. Even though spina bifida occulta is the least severe, there are more severe types within spina bifida occulta. One of these types causes the spinal cord to become tethered which can lead to different neurological issues. These kinds of spina bifida occulta are less likely to