Spina bifida, a rare condition that does not allow the spinal cord to develop properly in the womb and causes permanent disability, and is seen in four out of 1,000 children in India, medical experts have said at a seminar on ‘spina bifida’ here on Wednesday.
The seminar was organised by the Department of Neurosurgery-KGH, Andhra Medical College (AMC), in association with Andhra University, Rotary Club-Visakhapatnam and Lions International at the AU Convention Hall on the Beach Road.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Jogi V Pattisapu, paediatric neurosurgeon, UCF College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida, USA, said that children born with spina bifida suffer from poor quality of life, economic burden, social stigma, lifelong impairment and diminished productivity. But advances in neurosurgery, genitourinary surgery, gastroenterology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation have led to marked increase in survival. Between 75% and 85 % of individuals with spina bifida now survive into adulthood.
Dr Jeffery Blount, Professor and Chairman, Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital, Birmingham, USA, said spina bifida was a serious birth defect that affects the human nervous system for life. Babies would be born with an open blister-like abnormality on their back associated with paralysis of the legs and problems with bladder/bowel control.
Most children require multiple surgeries all through their lives but there was no cure. Spina bifida children typically have moderate to severe degrees of permanent physical disability, and sometimes intellectual limitations.
Up to 90% of spina bifida could be prevented if women, of childbearing age, received 400 micrograms of folic acid daily in their diet. While some countries have made folic acid fortification mandatory, India was yet to institute such a mandatory fortification programme.
M.V. Vijay Sekhar H o D, Department of Neurosurgery, Kakinada, said KGH receives 2 to 3 spina bifida cases every month. He commended the Prof. PRJ Gangadharam Research Academic Cell in the Department of Neurosurgery for delivering fortified salt to residents in rural areas in Visakhapatnam to prevent the condition.
G. Butchi Raju, Principal, Andhra Medical College, said that birth defects like spina bifida were preventable and underlined the importance of educating the public in this regard.
M Venketeswar Rao, Paediatrician, and Rotary District Governor, and. DVS Raju, Vice Area Leader, Lions International, spoke.
B. Hayagriva Rao, Professor, Department of Neurosurgery and K.V. Phani Madhavi, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, AMC , also spoke.
